Notes on the grasses (Poaceae) for the Flora of China, V. New species in Cymbopogon

2005·1.9 MB·

by  Hua Peng

Notes on Grasses (Poaceae) for the Flora of China, V. New species
in Cymbopogon
Sylvia XL Phillips
Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey TWO 3AB, United Kingdom.
s.ph i 11 i [email protected]
Peng Una
Herbarium, Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan 650204,
China, [email protected]
Abstract. Two new species of Cymbopogon are cluded within spatheole, glabrous. Raceme bases
described from China, C. liangshanensis and C. mi¬ subequal, linear, not deflexitig. apices cupuliform,
nor. Both belong to Cymbopogon series Proceri, pre¬ scarious; homogamous spikelets often absent, or
viously mainly confined to Australia. A third spe¬ one reduced or vestigial pair present on lower ra¬
cies in this series, Cymbopogon quinhonensis from ceme base; rachis internodes and pedicels sub¬
Vietnam, is transferred from Andropogon. equal. slenderly linear, ca. 3/4 length ol sessile
Key words: China, Cymbopogon, Vietnam. spikelel, ciliate with ca. 0.5 mm long white tri-
chomes increasing to ca. 1.5 mm at apex, apices ol
This paper describes two new species in Cym¬ rachis internodes and pedicels expanded, cupuli¬
bopogon Sprengel from China. Both were recog¬ form, scarious, toothed. Sessile spikelet 3.7-4 mm:
nized as new by Liu Liang, who died in 2001, but callus ca. 0.5 mm, shortly and sparsely pilose; low¬
neither has been validly published. They represent er glume narrowly elliptic oblong, papyraceous, lat¬
the first records from continental Asia of Cymbo¬ erally keeled with indexed margins, glabrous, back
pogon series Proceri Soenarko, the most primitive shallowly concave below middle, keels scabrid,
series in the genus, which until now was thought unwinged, 2- to 4-veined between keels above mid¬
to be confined to Australia and parts of Indonesia dle, narrowed to 2-denticulate apex; upper glume
and New Guinea. The apparent disjunct distribu¬ acute; lower floret reduced to an oblong hyaline
tion is bridged by one species in Vietnam, here lemma; upper lemma 2-lobed. awned from sinus;
transferred from Andropogon L. to Cymbopogon. awn geniculate, glabrous, 1.3—1.5 cm; pedicelled
spikelet narrow, reduced to the glumes, lower
Cymbopogon liangshanensis L. Liu ex S. M. glume 2.5-3.5 mm, upper glume 1-2 mm. Cary-
Phillips & H. Peng, sp. nov. TYPE: China. opsis not seen.
Sichuan: Liangshan, 21 Aug. 1964, /J\u Tai-
ping 411 (holotype, PE). Distribution. China: southwest Sichuan.
Liu Liang (1997: 197, fig. 48, 1—4) included this
Haec species omnibus sinensis racemis non deflexis
species in her account of the genus Cymbopogon
cum spiculis homogamis vestigialibus vel nullis, spiculis
for volume 10(2) of the Chinese-language Flora of
pedicellatis redactis manifeste distinguenda; C. procero
culmis 50-110 cm (non 100-200 cm) allis, internodiis China, with a reference to her publication “Plant
rachidis pedicellisque ciliatis pilis 0.5—1.5 mm (non 6 Resources of Gramineae II: 14. 1989." In fact, this
mm) differt. work has never been published, and her description
Perennial; culms solitary or in small tufts, slen¬ in 1997 was without a validating Latin description.
der. 50-1 10 cm tall, ca. 1.5 mm diam., 4- to 6- The species is validated here, and the opportunity
noded. Leaf blades linear, gray green, 20—30 cm X is taken to provide a full description in English.
3—5 mm, slightly scaberulous, lower blades nar¬ Cymbopogon liangshanensis differs from all other
rowed almost to midrib toward base; ligule scarious, members of the genus in China in possessing a
1.5—2.5 mm. Inflorescence a spathate compound rather lax spathate panicle, and racemes with slen¬
panicle, 30—40 cm long; branches laxly ascending, der. non-deflexing raceme bases. The homogamous
bearing several tiers of spathes. Spatheoles green¬ spikelet pair normally present on the lower raceme
ish brown, narrowly lanceolate, 2—2.5 cm. Racemes base in Cymbopogon is reduced or vestigial, or even
paired, 1.5—1.8 cm, 3- to 5-noded; peduncle in¬ completely absent, and the pedicelled spikelets are
Novon 15: 471-473. Published on 21 September 2005.
472 No von
2 mm
Figure I. Cymbopogon minor IF S. Sun & R. Zhang ex S. VI. Phillips iK H. Peng. —A. Hahit. —R. Spatheole and
raceme bases. —C. Spikelet pair. —I). Pedicel with pedicelled spikelet and raehis internode. Drawn from the holotype.
Team oj Northeastern Yunnan 1466 (YUNU), by Margaret Tebbs.
similar, being narrow and reduced to the glumes. amous jiair (albeit often very small), which is
In these characters the taxon approaches the close¬ normally completely absent in Arulropogon, are in¬
ly related genus Arulropogon. However, the sub¬ dicative of Cymbopogon.
equal raceme bases, and the presence of a homog- Cymbopogon liongshonensis appears to be a first
Volume 15, Number 3 Phillips & Peng 473
2005 New species in Cymbopogon
record lor continental Asia of Cymbopogon series 2.5 mm. reduced to empty lower glume. Caryopsis
Proceri, whose members are otherwise mainly con¬ not seen.
fined to Australia. This is the most primitive series
Distribution. China: northeast Yunnan.
in the genus, including species with equal, fre¬
This species is known only from the type spec¬
quently non-deflexing raceme bases and reduced imen. which bears two determination labels, ”//y-
pedicelled spikelets. It is distinguished from the
parrhenia gracilis L. Liu. sp. nov.” and
Australian C. procerus (R. Brown) Domin by its “Cymbopogon minor B. S. Sun et R. Zhang, sp.
smaller habit and much shorter trichomes in the nov.” Neither of these names has been publis lied.
racemes. The taxon is clearly excluded from Hyparrhenia by
the short callus of the sessile spikelet, which is
Cymbopogon minor B. S. Sun & R. Zhang ex S. inserted into the expanded apex of the rachis in¬
M. Phillips & II. Peng. sp. nov. TVPK: China. ternode below. It was correctly placed in Cymbo¬
Yunnan: Qiaojia County, Xiaohe, bank of Niu- pogon bv B. S. Sun and R. Zhang, whose specific
lan Jiang [river], roadside in grassland. 900 m, epithet is taken up here.
2B Oct. 1964, Team of Northeastern )unnun Cymbopogon minor resembles C. hangshanensis,
1466 (holotype, YUNU). Figure 1. as described above, in its reduced homogamous
and pedicelled spikelets. I he small sessile spike¬
Haee species C. liangshanensi af finis, sed lam inis fo- lets are also similar, but differ slightly in shape,
liorum angustioribus (1—2 mm non 3—5 mm lalis), spa-
texture, and a more strongly bearded callus with a
iheolihus angustioribus brevioribus (1.2-1.5 cm non 2-
trichome tuft. However, it differs markedly by its
2.5 cm longis), praccipuc basibus racemorum dcflcxis
di fieri. strongly deflexing. flattened, bearded raceme bases.
This makes it rather anomalous in Cymbopogon se¬
Perennial, tufted: culms wiry, 60-70 cm tall, 1 ries Proceri, into which it would otherwise fit com¬
mm diam.. ea. 4-noded. Leaf blades narrowly lin¬
fortably.
ear. pale green, ea. 20 cm X 1—2 mm. smooth, A species described in Andropogon from Viet¬
glabrous, narrowed toward base; ligule soarious. nam by A. Camus also has slender, equal, non-
1.3—2 mm. Inflorescence a narrow spathate panicle, deflexing raceme bases with absent or reduced ho¬
moderately dense, up to 30 cm long, spathes and mogamous pairs, and reduced pedicelled spikelets.
spatheoles in clusters; spatheoles red, narrowly lin¬ It also is best placed in Cymbopogon series Proceri,
ear. 1.2—1.5 cm; racemes paired. 4- or more-noded
and is transferred to the genus here.
(no complete racemes on type); peduncle slender,
glabrous, ea. 1/2 length of spatheole, shortly ex- Cymbopogon quinhonensis (A. Camus) 5. M.
serted at maturity; raceme bases subequal, short, Phillips & H. Peng, comb. nov. Basionym: An¬
flattened, deflexed at maturity, pubescent, bearded dropogon quinhonensis A. Camus, Bull. VIus.
at apex with ca. 2.5 mm long hairs, apices cupu- Hist. Nat. (Paris) 25: 201. 1919. TYPE: Viet¬
liform, scarious. Homogamous spikelets reduced, nam. Annam: Qui-nhon, Balansa 4H72 (holo¬
one pair present on lower raceme base, lower spike- type, P not seen, K photo).
let of pair resembling pedicelled spikelets, upper
A. Camus (1919) remarked on the similarity of
spikelet vestigial; rachis internodes and pedicels
this grass to Cymbopogon in the protologue. It has
subequal, slenderly linear, ea. % length of sessile
more conspicuously white-villous racemes than C.
spikelet, densely eiliate with ca. 0.7 mm long white
Hangshanensis, and the lower glume ol the sessile
trichomes increasing to 2—3 mm at apex, apex of
spikelet lacks intercarinal veins.
internode expanded, eupuliform, scarious, toothed,
apex of pedicel similar but smaller; sessile spikelet Additional specimen seen. VIETNAM. Annam: lour-
ane [Da Nang], border of thickets, May-July 1927, ./. &
3.8—4 mm; callus ca. 0.3 mm. shortly bearded, a
At. S. Clemens 4454 (K).
Irichome tuft projecting into base of lower glume
concavity; lower glume narrowly oblong, herba¬ Acknowledgment. We thank the directors of the
ceous, margins indexed, lightly keeled below mid¬ herbaria at PE and YUNU for sending types on loan
dle. sharply keeled above, glabrous, back shallowly to Kew.
concave below middle, keels seabrid, unwinged, 2-
Literature Cited
to 4-veined between keels above middle, narrowed
Camus, A. 1919. Craminees nouvelles de l'Asie orientale.
to emarginate apex; upper glume acute; lower floret
Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 2.5: 262-204.
reduced to an oblong hyaline lemma; upper lemma
I,iu. L. 1997. Cymbopogon. I’p. IBB—209 in flora Rei-
2-lobed, avvned from sinus; awn geniculate, gla¬ publicae Popularis Sinicae, Vol. 10(2). Science Press,
brous, 1.2—1 3 cm; pedicelled spikelet narrow, 0.5— Beijing.