Mnesithea Granularis

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istributio (L.) Koning & Sosef: A New Record to D the flora of the Malwa Region, India raphic

g K. L. Meena

eo [email protected] Department of Botany, MLV Government College, Bhilwara (Rajasthan) - 311 001. G

n E- mail: o

Abstract: A new record of Mnesithea granularis otes N (L.) Koning & Sosef (Poaceae), collected for the first time from Malwa region (Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) India is presented. A detail description, up to date nomenclature, phenology, ecological notes and illustrations of this species have been presented.

Between 2008 and 2012 botanical surveys were polystachya Hackelochloa granularis collections were acquired from the Malwa region, India. P. Beauv., Fl. Owar & Benin.Mnisuris 1: 24,porifera t. 14. 1805.Hack. undertaken in southern Rajasthan, where significant plant (L.) O. Ktze. Rev. Hook, Gen. f. op. Pl. cit 2: 776. Hackelochloa1891; Bor, Grass porifera Ind. 159. 1960. Geographically, the Malwa region is situated between in Oesterr. op.Bot. cit. Zeitschr.Rytilix 41: 48. granularis 1891; . 160. and21°10′N south-eastern to 25°09′ Rajasthan. N Latitude After and 73°45′a thorough E to survey 79°13′ of E (Hack.) Rhind, Grass. Burma 77. theLongitude literature, and critical a plateau examination in western of collected Madhya material Pradesh 1945; Bor, 160. (L.) Skeels in U. S. Dept. Agric., Bur. Pl. Indus. 282: 20. 1913. (Figures 1 and 2). determinedand with expert as Mnesithea advice from granularis authorities of the Indian Annual, erect, up to 30 cm high; culms much branched Association of Angiosperm Taxonomy, several specimens from base, nodes hairy. Leaves 3.5–8.5 x 0.3–0.7 cm, (L.) Koning & Sosef linear - lanceolate, acuminate; leaf sheath compressed, up (Poaceae) were confirmed, which had not previously been to 2 cm long, margins hairy; ligules short, membranous, recorded from the Malwa region (Sharma and Tyagiet al 1979; densely ciliate 1–2 mm long. Racemes 0.5–2.5 cm long, Shetty and Pandey 1983;el al Singh 1983; Shettyet al and Singh solitary, joints terete, linear-clavate, glabrous; spikelets 1993; Bhandari 1995; Samvatsar 1996; Prasad . 1996; paired. Sessile spikelet 1–1.5 mm, usually cream-colored at Sharma 2002, SinghMnesithea . 2001; Khanna . 2001; Tiagi maturity; lower glume hemispherical, coarsely reticulate- andthe genusAery 2007; Coelorachis Yadav Brongn.and Meena It is 2011). distributed throughout rugose, pits shallow and separated by broad rounded ribs, The genus Kunth, has been reduced from the whole surface finely granular; upper glume hyaline et al below, thickening upward toward the crested apex; lower the tropics and about 32 speciesMnesithea are currently clarkei known lemma hyaline; upper lemma hyaline, ca. 1.1 mm, upper (Veldkamp .Mnesithea 1986), with granularis only three species known palea as long. Pedicelled spikelet 1.5–2.5 mm, glumes with fromand Mnesithea Maharashtra; laevis namely, et al (Hack.) Keyprominent to the green species veins and whitish wings. Koning & Sosef, (L.) Koning & Sosef 1a. (Retz.)Mnesithea Kunth (Sharma laevis . 1996). They are mostly found in warmer parts of the country. Perennial. Rhizome small. Stem up to 1.2Mnesithea m high. Leaves laevis Previouslyet only al one species (Retz.) Kunth 1b.17–75 x 0.4 cm, linear from the narrow base. Pedicelled hasgrasses been from reported the Malwa from regionthe Malwa by the region author (Pandey, has resulted 1993, spikelets reduced to a minute glume. ..….. Khannain the discovery . 2001). of a new An record, extensive which field is described survey of and the Annual. Nonrhizomatous. Stem Mnesithea up to 30 granularis cm high. Leaves 3.5 - 8.5 x 0.3 - 0.7 cm, linear – lanceolate. Pedicelled spikeletSpecimens 1.5 - 2.5 examined mm. …...... illustrated in present paper. Moreover, the present paper deals with a detailed description, phonological data and : India, Rajasthan, Chittaurgarh, Enumerationillustrations of the species. village Karthana, Meena 7123, Pratap Garh district, village Mnesithea granularis Achari, Meena 7236, Madhya Pradesh, Neemuch, village Jagepur,Fl. & Fr.: Meena 7246, village, Bambori, 7336 (MLVGCB Cenchrus granularis (L.) Koning & Sosef, in blumea Herbarium).Ecological Notes Manisuris31: 295, 1986; granularis Singh et al Fl.f Maharashtra State Monocot. August - October. 539. 1996. L. Mant. 2,f App. 575. 1771. Aristida adscensionis : RareIndigofera on gravelly linifolia soils, f in open (L.) L. . Nov. Gram. Gen. 40. 1779; Eragrostisand wet grasslands. tremula Extremely rare in waste lands, sites Duthie, Fodder Grasses 29.1884; Hook, . Fl. Brit.Manisuris India. 7 L., (L. .) Retz., : 159. 1896; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bombay 3: 473. 1958 (Repr. Hochst. ex Steud. etc.. of moist sandy ed.); Blatt. & McC. Bombay Grass. 32. 1935. soil and wet places. 374 Meena | Mnesithea granularis in the Malwa Region, India

Distribution

: Native to Western Australia distributed throughout the tropics. India: Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Mnesithea granularis

Current distribution of (L.) Koning & Figure 1. Mnesithea granularis Sosef in India. Acknowledgments: (L.) Koning & Sesef. A) Habit; B) Racemes; C) Spike. Authors are grateful to Dr. Vinod Maina, Scientist in-charge and Dr. S. L. Meena, Scientist of the Arid zone circle Botanical Survey of India (Jodhpur) for confirmation of the identity of the specimens. I would also like to thank Principal, Vice Principals and Dr. B. L. Yadav, head Department of Botany, MLV Government College, Bhilwara for providing me with the facilities. Financial assistance was provided by LiteratureUGC, New Delhi. Cited Flora of the Indian Desert

Bhandari, M.M. (1995). . Jodhpur:Supplement MPS Repros. to the Flora435 pp. of Madhya Pradesh Khanna, K.K., A. Kumar, R.D. Dixit and N.P. Singh. 2001. Illustrated Flora of Keoladeo National Park. Kolkata: Bharatpur BSI. 587 Rajasthan pp. Prasad, V.P., M. Daneil, E.M. Joy and C.R. Ajit Kumar. 1996. Flora of Western tribal Madhya. Bombay:Pradesh Bombay Natural History Society. 435 pp. Samvatsar, S. 1996. Flora of Maharashtra. Jodhpur: state,Scientific monocotyledons Publishers. 441 pp. Sharma, B.D., S. KarthikeyanFlora of and Rajasthan N.P. Singh. 1996. . Kolkata: BSI. Sharma, N.K. 2002. . Jaipur: Aavishkar Publishers Distributors. 280 pp. Sharma, S. and B. Tyagi. 1979.. FloraFlora of North-Eastof Tonk District Rajasthan. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi. pp. 540. Shetty, B.V. and R.P. Pandey. 1983.Flora of Rajasthan . Howrah: BSI. 253 pp. Shetty, B.V. and V. Singh. 1993. FloraVol III. of MaharashtraKolkata: BSI. 861–1246.State, Monocotyledons Shram, B.D., S., Karthikeyan and N.P. Singh. 1996. Flora of Madhya Pradesh . Kolkata: BSI. 794 pp. Singh, N.P., K.K. FloraKhanna, of Banswara V. Mudgal District and R.D. Dixit. 2001. . Vol. III. Kolkata: BSI.Flora 587 pp. of Rajasthan (South & South-East Singh,Region) V. 1983. . Howrah: BSI. 312 pp. Tiagi, Y.D. and N.C. Aery. 2007. of Rottboellia. New Delhi: Himanshu Publications. 725Blumea pp. Veldkamp, J.F., R. de Koning, and M.S.M.Flora Sosef. of 1986. South Generic Central delimitation Rajasthan. and related genera (Gramineae). 31: 281–307. Yadav B.L. and K.L. Meena. 2011. Jodhpur: Scientific Publishers. 466 pp.

Figure 2. Mnesithea granularis Received: January 2014 (L.) Koning & Sesef. A) Habit; B) Spike; Accepted: March 2014 C) Lingule; D) Spikelet; E) Upper glume; F) Upper ligule; G) Plaea; H) Published online: May 2014 Lodicules. Editorial responsibility: Paul A. Egan 375