Parahyparrhenia khannae A. P. Tiwari & Chorghe (2020: 56)

Landge, Shahid Nawaz & Shinde, Rajendra D., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the genus Parahyparrhenia (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) in India and review of African and Thai species, Phytotaxa 541 (3), pp. 247-260 : 255-257

2. Parahyparrhenia khannae A. P. Tiwari & Chorghe (2020: 56) .

Type:— INDIA, Madhya Pradesh, Ratlam district, Sailana Tahsil, Sailana Bird Sanctuary ( Shikarwadi area ) 23°25’48.75”N 74°54’44.48”E, 8 October 2015, A. P . Tiwari 75590 (Holotype BSA!; isotypes BLAT! BSA!)

Annual, caespitose, 10–30 cm high with shallow root system. Culms very slender, terete, glabrous, purplish at nodes, geniculately ascending; nodes glabrous, darkened. Leaf blades filiform, flat (when young) to involute later, 2.5–6.0 × 1.0– 1.5 mm, glabrous or slightly puberulous above, granulate beneath, margins smooth, sometime with sparse hairs; sheath terete, glabrous, 2.0–3.0 cm long; ligule membranous, lacerated at the apex with ciliae, 0.8–1.0 mm long. Inflorescence a solitary terminal raceme, often in the fascicles of 2–3 pedunculate units, very slender, 2.5–4.5 cm long, subtended by a spatheole, bearing 4–8 fertile spikelets on each; spatheole linear, 3.0–6.0 cm long, herbaceous, glaucous when young, straw coloured when older; rachis flattened, 1.5–2.0 mm long, ciliate on margins (except towards the apex), oblique at tip. Homogamous spikelets 1–2 at the base of a raceme, either barren (almost a scale like appendage) or staminate. Sessile spikelet 4.0–6.0 mm long (incl. callus), very narrow, linear-oblong, awned, falling entire; callus very pungent, protruded, 1.0–2.0 mm long, brownish, vernicose, attached obliquely, bearded with white hairs: lower glume 4.0–5.0 mm long, coriaceous, linear-oblong, with a deep median longitudinal groove on the dorsal surface, obscurely 6-nerved, margins inflexed, scaberulous on dorsal surface in upper half, 2-keeled, bidentate at apex (due to rupturing of a hyaline membrane), darkened on maturity; upper glume 4.0– 4.5 mm long, subcoriaceous, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, glabrous on dorsal surface, obscurely 3-nerved, muticous at apex, margins inflexed, ciliolate in the upper half; lower lemma 2.5–3.0 mm long, epaleate, membranous, elliptic-oblong, dentate and ciliolate apex; upper lemma reduced to a hyaline base of geniculate awn, linear, 3.0– 3.4 mm long, bifid at the apex; awn geniculate 4.5–6.3 cm long, with a long hispidulous cork-screwed column with long hairs; palea absent; lodicules two; stamens 3, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm long. Caryopsis 3.0– 3.5 mm long, purplish, narrowly oblong, glabrous, with a deep median groove on the dorsal surface. Pedicelled spikelet 5.5–6.5 mm long, glabrous; pedicel 1.5–2.0 mm long, ciliate on margins; callus oblong, 0.5–1.0 mm long, acute and straight at the apex, glabrous, with depressions on the ventral side; lower glume 5.5–6.5 mm long, sub-coriaceous, linear-lanceolate, 7-nerved, bi-dentate at the apex (sometimes almost bi-mucronate at the apex), scaberulous on margins; upper glume 5.0– 5.5 mm long, membranous, linear-lanceolate, ciliate on margins, acuminate at apex.

Flowering and fruiting:—Flowering and fruiting was observed from September to October. In personal communication with Dr. Mujaffar Shaikh, it was known that the species begins flowering from July and lasts till December.

Distribution:— Madhya Pradesh: Burhanpur, Ratlam and Jhabua districts; Gujarat: Rajkot district, Saurashtra, Peninsular India. According to one of the collectors, Dr. Mujaffar Shaikh, this species is seen in a considerable abundance in open grassland in 7 km 2 of area in Asiragarh forest range, Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh. A species occurring in such profusion yet remained to be un-described for centuries is fascinating. The species so far appears to be endemic to Central India.

Notes:— Parahyparrhenia khannae is a very slender grass with an ascending habit ( Fig. 3 ) and has the shortest stature (ca. 30 cm high) and smallest anther size (i.e. 0.5–0.8 mm long) known in the genus. The racemes are terminal, solitary in 2–3 pedunculate fascicles, extremely narrow with considerably long awns i.e. ca. 6.3 cm long, giving the plant a peculiar appearance at a glance. The obliquely pungent and protruded callus in this species is a very prominent feature which is capable of driving into the finger, if pressed against it. When mature, the lower glume of the sessile spikelet becomes highly coriaceous, darkened and tough, enclosing the caryopsis very tightly. As the lower glume of the sessile spikelet is longitudinally grooved on its dorsal side, it bears a prominent ridge on its ventral surface, which is the cause of the longitudinal depression on the matured caryopsis ( Fig. 4 , L). The mature hardened spikelets of this species render the task of manually removing the caryopsis, without completely destroying the glume, very formidable. The leaf blades are granulated on their abaxial surface/under-surface; one of the distinguishing features of this species. The raceme and spikelets are much narrower as compared to P. bellariensis . In both the Indian species, lobes of the upper lemma of the sessile spikelet can be best seen during anthesis; later, at maturity, the lobes tend to disintegrate making the lemma appear absolutely entire or undivided like Heteropogon Persoon (1807: 533) .

So far, this species is known from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states. Based on its habitats specificity, it may be predicted that it is likely to occur in dry grasslands of Northern Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.

Specimens examined (paratype):— INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Jhabua district, Petlawad, Salunea ( Kharmor area ) 23°55’48.75”N / 74° 48’ 0”E, 10 October 2015, A. P . Tiwari 75595 ( BSA!) ; Gujarat, Rajkot, Saurashtra University 10 October 1977, Bharkava 50 ( BSI!) .

Additional specimens examined:— INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Burhanpur district, Asirgarh forest range, 11 September 2021, Shaikh Mujaffar SM-1, SM-2, SM-3, SM-4, SM-5, SM-6, SM-7, SM-8, SM-9, SM-10, SM-11, SM-12, SM-13 ( BLAT) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Habit of Parahyparrhenia khannae. (Based on A.P. Tiwari 75590: holotype)

FIGURE 4. Habit and parts of the spikelets of Parahyparrhenia khannae. A. Habit. B. Spiciform-raceme. C. Ligule. D. A pair of heterogamous spikelets. E. Pedicel with oblique apex. F. Upper lemma of the sessile spikelet. G. Lower glume of the sessile spikelet.H. Pistil. I. Stamens. J. Pedicelled spikelet without a pedicel. K. Lower glume of the pedicelled spikelet. L. Caryopsis. (Photography by: Mujaffar Shaikh)