PHYTOTAXONOMY

Vol. 1,2001, pp. 63-65

Notes on Cyperaceae of Karanataka, South India: Four new reports, A new

combination and three exclusions*

V.P. Prasad & N.P. Singh**

Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle, Pune - 411 001

One species, one subspecies and two varieties are reported for the first time from Karnataka. Also,
from a new combination is made and three species are excluded from the state flora.
Keywords: Cyperaceae: Karnataka

New Reports Habitat: Cultivated fields.

1. Cyperus amabilis Vahl Enum. PI. 2:318.
1806; Clarke in Hook, f., FI. Brit. India 6:598,1893;
Kukenth. in Engl., Pflanzenr. 4 (20), Heft 101: 265
f. 29, A-D 1936.
Annuals with fibrous roots, 15-20 cm high.
Stems tufted, slender, compressed, 0.5-1 mm thick.
Leaves 2-4 shorter than stem, canaliculate, linear*
acuminate at apex, up to 8 cm long, 1-2 mm wide;
sheaths reddish towards base. Inflorescence simple,
rarely compound or reduced to a single spike, 4-8 x
4-11 cm. Involucral bracts 3-6, shorter than
inflorescence. Primary rays 1-9, up to 7 cm long;
secondary rays if any ca 1.5 cm long. Spikes usually
hemispherical, 1.2-2.5 x 1.5-4.5 cm, bearing 3-16
spikelets. Spike lets digitate, spreading, strongly
compressed, linear, subacute at apex, 7-20 * cal
mm, orange-brown or ferrugineous, 12-56 flowered,
rachilla slender, flexuous, wingless, with ca 0.35 mm
long internodes. Glumes subdensely imbricate,
subchartaceous, broadly oblong-ovate or elliptic-
oblong, truncate and often slightly sinuate at apex,
ca 1.1 x 0.8 mm; keel green, 3-nerved, excurrent
into a short, suberect mucro; sides orange-brown,
nerveless. Stamen 1; anther ca 0.3 mm long. Style
ca 0.6 mm long; stigmas 3, shorter than style. Nuts
trigonous, oblong-obovoid, obtuse and minutely
apiculate at apex, ca 0.6 x 0.3 mm, brownish,
densely puncticulate.
FIs. & Frts.: Nov.
* This is part III of a series. Part II was published in LEcon. Tax. Bot. 21 (3): 667-670. 1997.
** Director, Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta - 700 001.
Specimen exam ined : R aichur: R aichur-
Hyderabad Road, 19 km, Raichur, Singh 141726,
15.11.1975 (BSI).
2. Cyperus rotundus L. subsp. tuberosus
(Rottb.) Kukenth. in Engl., Pflanzenr 4 (20), Heft
101: 113. 1935. C. tuberosus Rottb. Descr. & Ic.
Rar. Nov. PL 28, t 7, f.l 1773; Clarke in Hook.f.,
FI. Brit India 6: 616 1893, p.p.; Cooke, FI. Pres.
Bombay 2: 872 1908 (3:385, 1958 repr.ed.)
This subspecies is very similar to the typical
subspecies, but differs by longer stems (30-60 cm),
linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate spikelets,
ferruginous or dirty-yellow glumes, which are
ovate-lanceolate and acute at apex, and broadly
obovoid nut.
Specimen examined : M ysore & Carnatic,
without exact locality, Thomson, s.n.( Acc. No.
78599A), without date (MH).
3. Bulbostylis barbata (Rottb.) Clarke var.
pulchella (Thw.) Clarke in Hook.f.,FI. Brit. India
6:652. 1893. Isolepis pulchella Thw., Enum. PI.
Zeyl. 350: 1864. Scirpus thwaitesii Boeck. in
Linnaea 38: 380. 1874. Bulbostylis barbata subsp.
pulchella (Thw.) Koyama in Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 93:
341’ 1980.
Stems more rigid than the typical variety, 0.5-1
mm thick, usually light purple towards the base.
Leaf-sheaths purplish-brow n. Glumes usually
glabrous or subglabrous._____________________
64 PHYTOTAXONOMY, VOL. 1,2001
FIs. & Frts.: Aug-Jan.
Habitat: Restricted to coastal areas.
Specimens examined : Dakshina Kannada:
M angalore, Foulker 4865, Jan. 1902 (MH);
Neleshwar, without coll, name, 15323, 9.11.1917
(MH). Uthara Kannada: Karwar, Talbot 1788,
20.8.1885 (MH).
4. Scleria levis Retz. var. pubescens (Steud.)mainly by the linear, up to 14 mm long, 12-30-
C.Z. Zheng. FI. Zhejiang 7: 286. 1986 S. pubescens
Steud., Syn. PL Glum. 2: 168. 1855. S. hebecarpa
var. pubescens (Steud.) Clarke in Hook.f., FI. Brit.
India 6: 689. 1894. •
It differs from the typical Scleria levis in the
following characters:
Stems up to 110 cm long, ca 3.5 mm thick in
the middle portion, puberulous on the faces. Leaves
ca 10 mm wide in the middle portion; contraligule
broadly ovate or triangular, 3-4 mm long. Nuts
broadly oblong, ca 4 x 2 mm, with stellate hairs in
the basal half (ultimately glabrous), with 3 faint lines
from the apex gradually fading towards middle of
the nut.
FIs. & Frts.\ Sept.
Habitat: On the bank of nallahs at high altitude.
Specimen examined : Mysore: Basavangudi,
Biligirangan hill range, Rao 73767, 7.9.1961 (BSI)
Note : This variety is not yet reported from
Peninsular India. However, in India, it is so far
reported from North-Eastern states only.
New Com bination
Cyperus laxus Lamk. subsp. macrostachyus
(Boeck.) V.P. Prasad & N.P. Singh, comb. nov.
The above taxon has been given different status
ranging from a species to a variety and named
accordingly, as shown in the citation given below,
considering its variation from the typical Cyperus
laxus. It seems Koyama has rightly placed it as a
subspecies, but under the name Cyperus diffusus.
Hence, when treated under Cyperus laxus, the
correct name and the synonyms will be as follows.
Cyperus laxus Lamk. subsp macrostachyus
(Boeck.) V.P. Prasad & N.P. Singh comb. nov.
basionym C. diffusus Vahl var. macrostachyus
Boeck. in Linnaea 35: 534. 1868. C. pubesquama
Steud. [in Zoll. Syst. Verz. 1:62 1854, nom, nud.\.
Syn. PI. Glum. 2: 20, 1855. C. diffusus Vahl subsp.
macrostachyus (Boeck). Koyama in Gard. Bull.
Singapore 30:139. 1977. C. laxus Lamk. var.
macrostachyus (Boeck). Karthik. in Karthik. et al.
FI. Ind. Enum. Monocot. 46:1989.
This subspecies differs from the typical C. laxus
flowered spikelets with closely imbricate glumes,
so that the rachilla is not visible even in later stages.
But in the typical C. laxus spikelets are oblong, up
to 7 mm long, 6-10-flowered; glumes not closely
imbricate, hence the rachilla visible.
Species Excluded
1. Cyperus alternifolium L.
This species, actually found in Madagascar and
Mauritius, was reported by Sharma et al. (1984)
from Belgaum district. But a study of the specimens
from the district revealed that these are o f C.
flabelliformis Rottb., which is very similar to C.
alternifolius L. and the former is often treated as a
subspecies of the latter. Incidentally, both these
names are reported in the same flora by Sharma et
al. (l.c .). Hence, by treating this species as C.
flabelliformis Rottb., the name C .alternifolius L. has
to be excluded from the state flora of Karnataka.
Specimens examined: Belgaum: Belgaum,
Talbot 3819, Oct. 1896 (BSI); near Gokak falls,
Prasad 172821, 11.12.1994 (BSI)
2. Cyperus fuscus L.
Singh (1983 & 1988) reported this species from
Raichur district as a new record for Karnataka state;
it was subsequently included in the state flora by
Sharma et al. (l.c.). But a detailed study of the
specimens revealed that it is Cyperus amabilis Vahl
(already reported above.) Hence, Cyperus fuscus L.,
which is actually found in Western Himalaya, is
excluded from the state flora of Karnataka.
Specimen exam ined : R aichur: R aichur-
HyderabadRoad, 19 km, Singh 141726,15.11.1975
(BSI)
3. Fimbristylis glabra Hochst. ex Steud., Syn. PL
Glum. Ill: 1854
Sharma et al. (l.c) reported this species from
 NOTES ON CYPERACEAE OF KARNATAKA, SOUTH INDIA
Shim oga d istrict, m ost prob ab ly based on
misidentified specimens in BSI. These specimens
were found to be of a new species. This was got
confirmed from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and
is being published separately. Hence, F. glabra
Hochst. ex Steud. is excluded from the state flora of
Karnataka.
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Dr. RK. Hajra, Ex-
Director, Botanical Survey of India for facilities and
to the Deputy Director, BSI, Southern Circle for
65
providing specim ens from K arnataka for the
revision of family Cyperaceae in the state. The first
author (VPP) is thankful to Shri M.K. Vasudeva
Rao, Deputy Director, BSI, Western Circle for help
and encouragement.
References
Sharma, B.D. et al. 1984. Cyperaceae in Flora o f Karnataka-
. Analysis pp: 304, 306 & 310 B.S.I. Howrah.
Singh N.P. 1983. New records for Karnataka State. J.Econ.
Tax. Bot. 4: 179
Singh N.P. 1988. Cyperaceae In Flora o f Eastern Karnataka
2: 631. Mittal Publications, Delhi.