Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 91-96, 2016 (December) © 2016 Bangladesh Association of Plant Taxonomists ELEOCHARIS NEGLECTA (CYPERACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM KONKAN REGION OF MAHARASHTRA, INDIA D.B. BORUDE, A.N. CHANDORE1, A.R. GHOLAVE2 AND S.R. YADAV2 Department of Botany, Abasaheb Marathe Arts and New Commerce, Science College, Rajapur 416702, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India Keywords: Cyperaceae; Eleocharis; India; Konkan; New species. Abstract Eleocharis neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav, a new species from Konkan region of Maharashtra, India is described and illustrated. This species belongs to Eleocharis subgen. Limnochloa (P. Beauv. ex Lestib.) Torr. and it is closely allied to Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. ex Hensch. in having terete and septate culms. Introduction The genus Eleocharis R.Br. (Cyperaceae) is distributed worldwide with c. 200 species (Gonzalez-Elizondo and Peterson, 1997) however; recently Govaerts et al. (2016) have reported c. 300 species for the world. The genus is widely distributed from tropical to temperate regions of both hemispheres. In India, it is represented by about 21 species (Prasad and Singh, 2002; Wadoodkhan, 2015). Recently Eleocharis wadoodii S.R. Yadav, Lekhak & Chandore and Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore, Borude, Kambale & S.R. Yadav have been described from the state of Maharashtra. (Yadav et al., 2009; Chandore et al., 2016). Another species of Eleocharis i.e. E. khandwaensis Mujaffar, Chandore & S.R. Yadav has been described from state of Madhya Pradesh (Mujaffar et al., 2014). Similarly, one more species of Eleocharis i.e. E. setifolia (A. Rich) Raynal has been recorded for India by Wadoodkhan (2015). Therefore the present account of Eleocharis in India is about 25 species including 3 new species and one addition. During our floristic survey, some specimens of Eleocharis were collected along with Eleocharis dulcis from estuaries of Ansure, Dandaansure, Tulsunde and Vengurle of Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. Careful observations were made on the specimens in field as well as in laboratory under stereo-zoom microscope. After examination of relevant literature (Cook, 1996; Koyama, 1985; Wadoodkhan, 2015) and critical analysis of plant specimens revealed that it is to date undescribed species of Eleocharis. Hence, it is described and illustrated here as a new species. Eleocharis neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav, sp. nov. (Figs 1-3). Diagnosis: The new species is similar to Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. ex Hensch., but differs in its subrigid culms (vs. soft culms); culms slender after pressing and drying (vs. culms flat after pressing and drying); spikelet angular, 15–35 flowered, distinctly wider than culms (vs. cylindrical, 60–120 flowered, not wider than culms); sterile glumes ovate, acute at apex, (vs. obovate, acuminate at apex); fertile glumes fairly imbricate, c. ½ portion overlap by other glumes, persistent (vs. closely imbricate, c. ¾ portion overlaps by other glumes, deciduous); epidermal cells on achene surface longitudinally oblong–hexagonal (vs. epidermal cells on achene surface isodiametrically hexagonal to pentagonal). 1Corresponding author. Email: arunchandore@gmail.com 2Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004, Maharashtra, India. mailto:arunchandore@gmail.com 92 BORUDE et al. Types: INDIA. Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur, on the way of Dandansure road, 16°33'736''N, 73°21'412''E, altitude 13 m, 30 August 2015, A.N. Chandore 1951 (Holotype: CAL; Isotypes: BSI, K, SUK). Fig. 1. Eleocharis neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav, sp. nov. A. Habitat (network of young culms); B. Habitat; C. Spikelets; D. Roots & stolon; E. T. S. of culm; F. Flower; G. Achene; H. Achene (SEM) (all from A.N.Chandore 1951). Photo plate by A.N. Chandore. ELEOCHARIS NEGLECTA (CYPERACEAE), A NEW SPECIES 93 Fig. 2. A. Eleocharis neglecta habitat; B. E. dulcis habitat; C. & E. E. neglecta spikelets; D. & F. E. dulcis spikelet; G. E. neglecta culm; H. E. dulcis culm; I. E. neglecta fertile glume; J. E. dulcis fertile glume; K. E. neglecta sterile glume; L. E. dulcis sterile glume; M. E. neglecta achene; N. E. dulcis achene; O. E. neglecta epidermal cell on achene surface; P. E. dulcis epidermal cell on achene surface. Photoplate by A.N. Chandore. 94 BORUDE et al. Fig. 3. Eleocharis neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav, sp. nov. A. Habitat (young culms); B. Habit; C. T. S. of culm; D. Spikelet; E. Glume; F. Flower; G. Achene. (all from A.N. Chandore 1951, drawn by D.B. Borude). Perennial herbs with elongated stolons, terminated by small tubers; tubers 1–3 mm thick, whitish to brown. Rhizome short with fibrous roots. Culms tufted, terete, septate, 8–15 culms per plant, erect, 40–60 cm in height, 1.5–2.2 mm in diam., yellowish to pale green, leafless; sheaths 2 per culm, outer sheath small, 4–5 cm long, dark brown, oblique, acute at apex; inner sheath membranous, 10–14 cm long, oblique at mouth, sheath apex acuminate. Spikelet solitary, terminal, straight, elongated, angular, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, distinctly wider than the culms, acute, many flowered, straw brown; rachilla persistent. Glumes 20–30 per spikelet; lower glumes sterile, ovate, acute at apex, 5.0–6.0 × 3.0–4.0 mm, margin membranous; fertile glumes oblong-ovate to elliptic, 4.5–5.0 × 1.8–2.0 mm, faintly striations, imbricate, persistent, convolute when dry, obtuse at apex, scarious along margins towards the apex, mid-nerve prominent. ELEOCHARIS NEGLECTA (CYPERACEAE), A NEW SPECIES 95 Hypogynous bristles 6 to 7, unequal, two to three times longer than achene, retrorsely barbed throughout, linear, gradually narrowed upwards, slightly connate at base, pale brown, c. 4 mm long. Stamens 3; anthers linear, c. 3 mm long, apiculate, yellowish brown; filament up to 7 mm long, translucent or whitish. Style 3-branched, c. 3.2 mm long; style base conical, persistent on the nut, c. 0.6 × 0.6 mm, as wide as the narrowed annular apex, brown to dark brown, flattened; stigmas 3, c. 3 mm long, scaberulous. Achene obovoid, biconvex, swollen at middle, 1.4–1.7 × 0.8–1.0 mm (excluding style-base), narrowed at base, yellowish to light brown, brown at maturity, surface appearing smooth; but under high magnification epidermal cell minute arranged in several vertical rows on each face, cells longitudinally oblong–hexagonal. Phenology: Flowering and Fruiting from August to October. Etymology: The specific epithet neglecta is given because it was a neglected species. Distribution: India. Maharashtra, Konkan region, Sindhudurg District- Vengurle; Ratnagiri District- Ansure, Dandaansure, Tulsunde. Habitat: Eleocharis neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav grows along side of estuaries of Konkan and road side at an altitude of about 7-50 m in associations with Cyperus rotundus L., Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. ex Hensch., E. geniculata (L.) Roem. & Schult., Fimbristylis acuminata Vahl, F. dichotoma (L.) Vahl, F. tomentosa Vahl, Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr., etc. Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): INDIA. Maharashtra, Konkan, Ratnagiri District, Ansure, 30 August 2015, A.N. Chandore 1959 (SUK); Ratnagiri District, Tulsunde, 31 August 2015, A.N. Chandore 1960 (SUK); Sindhudurg District, Vengurle, 13 September 2015, A N. Chandore 1971 (SUK). Note: Eleocharis neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav generally grows in association with Eleocharis dulcis; therefore earlier workers might have neglected this species or wrongly identified it as E. dulcis. A comparative account of E. neglecta Borude, Chandore Gholave & S.R. Yadav with E. dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. ex Hensch., is given in Table 1. Table 1. Comparison between Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. ex Hensch., and E. neglecta Borude, Chandore, Gholave & S.R. Yadav. Characters E. dulcis E. neglecta sp. nov. Culms Soft, deep green, flat after pressing and drying Subrigid, yellowish to pale green, slender after pressing and drying Culm size 5.0–9.0 mm in diameter, 50–100 cm in height 1.5–2.2 mm in diameter; 40–60 cm in height Inner sheath 15–25 cm long 10–14 cm long Spikelets Cylindrical; 3.0–5.5 cm long, 4.0 – 6.0 mm wide, not wider than culms Angular; 1.4–2.8 cm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide; distinctly wider than culms Sterile glumes Obovate, acuminate, 4.0–5.0 × 5.0–6.0 mm Ovate, acute at apex, 5.0–6.0 × 3.0–4.0 mm Fertile glumes Closely imbricate, c. ¾ portion overlaps by other glumes, deciduous Fairly imbricate, c. ½ portion overlap by other glumes, persistent Flowers 15–35 flowers per spikelet 60–120 flowers per spikelet Style 2-branched (rarely 3-branched) 3-branched Achene Obovoid to suborbicular, 1.8–2.0 × 1.0–1.2 mm Obovoid, 1.4–1.7 × 0.8–1.0 mm Surface of Achene (high magnification) Epidermal cells isodiametrically hexagonal to pentagonal Epidermal cells longitudinally oblong– hexagonal 96 BORUDE et al. Acknowledgements We are thankful to the Head, Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur for providing necessary facilities. The authors are grateful to Director, Botanical Survey of India for permission to consult Eleocharis herbarium. ANC & DBB are thankful to SERB, Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi for financial assistance (File No.:-SR/FT/LS- 82/2012), under DST Fast Track Young Scientist Scheme. Dr. ANC is thankful to the Principal, Abasaheb Marathe Arts & New Commerce Science College, Rajapur, for laboratory facilities. References Chandore, A.N., Borude, D.B., Kambale, S.S. and Yadav, S.R. 2016. Eleocharis konkanensis, a new species of Cyperaceae from the Konkan region of Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 252 (2): 154–158. Cook, C.D.K. 1996. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of India. Oxford University Press, London, pp 126–131. Gonzalez-Elizondo, M.S. and Peterson, P.M. 1997. A classification of and key to the supraspecific taxa in Eleocharis (Cyperaceae). 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