Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Vol. 88 B, Part II, Number 4, July 1979, pp, 327-330, 9printed in .

A new species of the Garnotia Brongn. () from Burma

VED PRAKASH and S K JAIN Botanical Survey of India, Howrah 711 103

MS received 8 September 1978; revised 5 May 1979

Abstract. The paper gives an illustrated account of a new grass, viz. G. normanii from Burma.

Keywords. Poaceae; Garnotia; new species.

During the course of revisionary study on Indian Garnotia Brongn. (Poaceae), the authors examined some material from Burma and came across a collection lying in Calcutta Herbarium labelled as Garnotia shanica Bor. An examination of literature showed that this binomial has not been published. A critical study of the specimen showed that this grass from Burma was definitely a Garnotia but was distinct from all known species of the genus. It is described and illus- trated here.

Garnotia normanii Ved Prakash et Jain sp. nov. Ab hujas generis speciebus ceteris ligula sericea propria 4-6 mm longa, statim distinguenda. Holotypus lectus ad locum S. Shun States (upper Burma) a Abdul Khalil s.n. anno 1895, et positus in herbario indico nationali (CAL). It can be readily distinguished from the other species of Garnotia by the presence of a very characteristic 4-6 mm long, silky-hairy ligule. A grass ca. 80 cm tall, perennial (?). Culm erect, cylindrical glabrous and smooth. Leaf-sheaths finely striate, glabrous; ligules 4-6 mm long, silky-hairy; collar glabrous; blades articulated on sheath, ca. 20-28 cm long, 2-5 mm broad, linear, acute, flat or folded, not tapering towards base and apex, glabrous. Panicle 45-65 cm long, somewhat contracted; rachis terete, glabrous and faintly striate below, angular and minutely scabrid along edges above; branches 5-20cm long, secondary branches 2-10 cm long, angular, antrorsely seabrid along edges, densely flowered spikelets seated on unequal pairs of pedicels, long pedicels up to 4.5 mm long and short ones up to 2.5 mm long. Spikelets 4-4.75 mm long, lanceolate, awnless, dorsally sabcompressed, hermaphrodite, 1-flowered. Callus densely bearded, hairs up to 1 mm long. Glumes 2, unequal to subequal, 327 328 Ved Prakash and S K Jain membranous, 3-nerved minutely scabrid on nerves ; lower glume as long as spikelet, linoar-lanceolate, acuminate, margin incurved; upper glume 3.5-4 mm long, oblong-lanceolate acute. Lemma 3.5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, slightly oblique at apex, rounded at back, membranous, 3-nerved, glabrous. Palea 3 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, acute, hyaline, 2-nerved, margin incurved at base. Stamens 3 ; anthers ca. 2 mm long, oblong, dark-brown in colour ; filaments very short. Ovary 0.8-1 mm long, oblong, glabrous; styles 2, ca. 0.5 mm long, free; stigmas 1.5 mm long, plamose (figure 1). Type: Upper Burma. S. Shan States, 1895, Abdul Khalil s.n. (Holotype; Isotype, CAL). Etymology: The species is named after the well-known agrostologist, late Dr. Norman Loftus Bor. Three species and one valiety of the genus Garnotia are presently known from Burma. Material of 3 species, viz. G. acutigluma (Stead.) Ohwi, G. normanii Ved Prakash et Jain and G. tenella (Arn. ex Miq.) Jan. was available to us and has

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1 11t m A D E F G H I Figure 1. Garnotia normanii Ved Prakash et Jain. A. habit; B. ligule; C. pair of spikelets; D. lowerglume; E. upperglume; F. lemma; G. palea; H. anthers; I. carpel (based on type). A new species of Garnotia 329 been critically examined. The remaining variety viz., G. patula var. mutica (Munro) Rendle has been studied from its authentic description. To facilitate identification of these Burmese taxa, vis-a-vis the new species, a dichotomous key is given below: 1. Spikelets awned : 2. Awn of the lemma geniculate with twisted dark column ...... G. tenella 2. Awn of the lemma straight, uniformly tapering to apex ...... G. acutigluma 1. Spikelets awnless : 3. Ligule silky hairy, 4-6 mm long ...... G. normanii 3. Ligule ciliate membrane, 0.2-1 "5 mm long ...... G.patula var. mutica As Bor (1960), which deals with grasses of BuIm~ also and is widely referred, does not mention any of the four names given in the above key, a brief synopsis is piovided below : 1. Garnotia acutigluma (Steud.) Ohwi in Bot. Mag. Tokyo 55: 393, 19411 Gould, Kew Bull. 27 : 540, 1972. Urachne acutigluma Steud. S) n. PI. Glum. 1 : 121, 1854. Distribution: India, , Burma, S. , Malaya, N. , Java, Borneo, and Philippines. Exsicc. : Burma, Pegu, Feb. 19, 1871, Kurz 3167 (CAL). 2. Garnotia normanii Ved Prakash et Jain. Distribution : So far known only by the type collection from Burma. Exsicc. : Upper Burma, S. Shan States, 1895, Abdul Khalil s.n. (Holotype; Isotype) (CAL). 3. Garnotia patula vat. mutica (Munro) Rendle, in J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 36 : 387, 1904; Gould, Kew Bull. 27: 546, 1972. Berghausia mutica Munro, Proc. Amer. Acad. 4: 362, 1860. Garnotia mutica (Mumo) Druce, Rep. Bot. Soc. Exch. Club 4: 624, 1917; Bor, Grass. Bur. Cey. lnd. Pak., 568 proparte Qaoad spec. cit. "Lace 6309 ". Distribution : S. China, Hong Kong, E. Burma and 1'4. Vietnam. Burma--Ruby Mines, between Mogok and Bernardmyo, Lace 6309 (K)*. 4. Garnotia tenella (Arn. ex Miq.) Jan., in Fedde, Rep. Sp. Nov. 17: 86, 1921; Gould, Kew Bull. 27 : 528, 1972--Berghausia tenella Arn. ex Miq. in Verh. Konink. Nederl. Inst. III, 4: 34, 1851. Distribution: Widely distributed in S.E. , India, Burma, N. Vietnam, , West Malaya, , and Java. Exsicc. : Burma--Southern Burma, Phenoung, Jan.-Feb. 1878, Kurz s.n. (CAL).

* Specimens not seen. 330 Ved Prakash and S K ,lain Acknowledgements One of us (VP) is thankful to the Botanical Survey cf India for the award of a Fellowship. Dr. N. C. Majttmdar has kindly helped in Latin diagnosis of the new taxon.

Reference

Bor N L 1960 The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India and Pakistan (London: Pergamon Press)