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\begin{document}

\title{\emph{Dactyloctenium ruderalis} (Poaceae), a new species from Jammu and
Kashmir, India}



\author[1]{B. L. Bhellum}%
\author[2]{Kanwaljeet Singh}%
\author[3]{Sumeet Gairola}%
\affil[1]{Affiliation not available}%
\affil[2]{CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine}%
\affil[3]{Council of Scientific \& Industrial Research Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine}%


\vspace{-1em}



  
  \date{June 04, 2024}


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\selectlanguage{english}
\begin{abstract}
A new species of \emph{Dactyloctenium} (Poaceae) from Jammu and Kashmir
is described and illustrated. Among Indian species of
\emph{Dactyloctenium}, the new \emph{D. ruderalis} is closely related to
the only previously known \emph{D. aristatum} in the region by being
non-stoloniferorous. Among others, distinctive characteristics of much
taller; peduncle length and bearded curved apex; unequal glumes; ovate
lemma; palea wingless and grain striations are features supporting the
proposed new species. A thorough description illustrations, photo plates
and a key to related species are provided to aid in its identification
and differentiation.%
\end{abstract}%



\sloppy


\textbf{Introduction}

The genus \emph{Dactyloctenium} Willd. consists of 13 species (Kellogg's
et al. 2020; Prasanna et al. 2020). It is mainly distributed in the
tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia and Africa (Flora of
China Editorial Committee 2016; POWO 2022). Some species have also been
found outside of their natural ranges, such as in North America (Hatch
2003). It is usually found in dry, sandy soils with habitats ranging
from mesophytic to xerophytic (Holm et al. 1979; Watson and Dallwitz
1992). \emph{Dactyloctenium} is a native of the old world tropics and is
one of the top 20 weeds on the globe (Holm et al. 1979; Simpson 1990).
In India, four species of \emph{Dactyloctenium} have been described so
far and are \emph{Dactyloctenium aegyptium} (L.) Willd.\emph{,
Dactyloctenium aristatum} Link, \emph{Dactyloctenium
australe}Steud.\emph{, Dactyloctenium scindicum} Boiss. (Kellogg's et
al. 2020; Landge et al. 2021).

\emph{D. scindicum} is strictly confined to the drier parts of
northwestern states, such as northern Gujarat and Rajasthan. \emph{D.
aristatum} is confined to the west coast of Peninsular India and a
fairly wide distribution in Rajasthan and Gujarat (Landge et al., 2021).

The genus is distinguished by spike axis culminating in sharp point,
spikes digitate, sometimes racemose, upper glume awned or mucronate, and
raceme axis terminating in sharp~point (Nagaraju et al. 2020). The
intervention of incredibly varied \emph{D. aegyptium} and a lack of an
up-to-date taxonomic classification that specifies boundaries between
the congeners now found in India complicate the accuracy
of\emph{Dactyloctenium} specimen identification in general.

During our floristic survey on in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir,
India unknown specimens of \emph{Dactyloctenium} were collected.
Critical analysis, examination of the specimens, based on the previous
studies (Duthie 1915; Singh and Kachroo 1976; Oomachan 1977; Sharma and
Kachroo 1981; Kellogg's et al. 2020; Landge et al. 2021; Chowdhary and
Wadhwa 1984; Babu 1977; Khuller 2000; Kandwal and Gupta 2009) and
scrutiny of various herbaria suggests that specimens collected from Bari
Brahmana, Jammu belong to hitherto undescribed species
of\emph{Dactyloctenium} . Accordingly, this new species is described and
illustrated here.

\textbf{Material and Methods}

The study is based on the material collected from natural population in
Bari Brahmana town of District Samba, Jammu and Kashmir, India (Fig. 1).
Apart from the collection of plants, field data including locality,
habitat and associated plants, altitude, and collection date were
recorded. Detailed morphological characters and measurements were
recorded with vernier caliper. For comparison of the new species with
its congeneric taxa, the regional, national and international floras
(Duthie 1915, Oomachan 1977, Singh and Kachroo 1976, Sharma and Kachroo
1981, Chowdhary and Wadhwa 1984; Babu 1977; Kandwal and Gupta 2009) were
consulted. Furthermore, the diagnostic features used for the comparison
of new species were examined with vouchers submitted viz., RRLH, HBJU,
K, E, W, CUKH, GUH (acronyms as per~Thiers~2023) and databases such
as\emph{www.gibf.org}.,\emph{www.eFloras.org}.\emph{www.eFloraofIndia}.
Herbarium vouchers were prepared by applying the standard herbarium
specimen preparation protocol (Singh 2019). Illustration of the plant
and floral parts and line drawings were prepared by using binocular
stereoscope. The threat status of the new species was assessed based on
the Criteria and category of the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2019).

\textbf{Taxonomic results}

\emph{\textbf{Dactyloctenium} ruderalis} sp. nov. (Figs. 1, 2, 3)

Diagnosis

A species is morphologically closely related to \emph{D. aristatum} but
differing from it by the taller plant (50-- 80 cm versus 15-- 45 cm),
peduncle length (20-- 40 versus 3-- 10 cm), peduncle apex (curved and
bearded versus peduncle apex slightly curved, pubescent), spikes (always
one versus spikes two to six rarely one), stem (one versus one or more,
branched), basal nodes (without rooting versus rooting), inflorescence
(narrowly oblong versus broadly oblong to globose). Table 1 provides
detailed morphological comparisons with similar species.

\emph{Type}

India, Jammu and Kashmir: Jammu City, Bari Brahmana,
32\selectlanguage{ngerman}\textsuperscript{°}37\selectlanguage{english}'34\selectlanguage{english}'\selectlanguage{english}' N, 74deg55\selectlanguage{english}'12\selectlanguage{english}'\selectlanguage{english}'E, 350 m a.s.l., 25 August
2022, B.L. Bhellum and Sumeet Gairola 350 (holotype: RRLH,
{[}RRLH27867{]}; isotype: RRLH)

\emph{Etymology}

The specific epithet \emph{`ruderalis'} refers to the type locality from
where the species is collected i.e. dry wastelands.

\emph{Description}

Annual, erect, non-stoloniferous, 50-- 80 cm tall herbs. Culms glabrous,
smooth with shorter internodes towards base, longer above, lower nodes
never rooting. Leaves disticous, markedly striate, 10--17 cm long, flat,
narrowly linear, base rounded or subcordate; venation parallel, midrib
prominent, minutely puberulous, margins beset with markedly bulbous
bristles or cilia, upto almost 1/3 of length, leaf-sheath tightly
enclosing the internode, glabrous, ligule small, reduced, memberanous,
hyaline, bearing bearded of hairs. Peduncle 20--40 cm long, terete,
bearded at curved apex. Inflorescence a solitary, linear spikes, 2-3 cm
long, hairy at base, pedicel ca 0.5 mm. Spikelets on one side of rachis,
hairy at base, projected into a narrow bare subulate tip; spikelets ca 3
mm long, densely crowded at base with 2-unequl, persistent glumes, green
turning brown at maturity. Lower glume ovate, acute when flattened,
1.5-- 2.7 mm long, strongly compressed, hayline except from the green
keel-nerve which is scabrid. Upper glume elliptic-ovate, +- 2 mm long,
hyaline, keel-nerve scabrid that prolonged into an awn. Lemma ovate to
broadly ovate lanceolate when flattened, 2.5--3 mm long, acute,
terminate into slightly curved awn. Paleas ovate, 2-keeled, keel
narrowly or broadly winged, 2--2.5 mm long, ciliate. Stamens 3, anthers
bithecous, 3--4 x 1.6--2.7 mm long, yellow. Ovary superior with single
locule; style-arms 2, stigma feathery. Caryopsis obovate-globose, or
dome shaped ca 1-1.5 mm across, rugose, light brown or reddish brown.

\emph{Phenology}

The flowering period of \emph{D. rudralis} spans August--September and
the fruiting time spans September--October.

\emph{Habitat and Distribution} .

The new species was found growing on margins of seasonal canals and dry
wastelands in the Bari Brahmana area of Jammu, Jammu \& Kashmir between
altitudes of 315-375 m a.s.l. The species appears to be endemic to this
region as no records have been found in any other herbarium. The
associated plant species found growing in close proximity with the
species were \emph{Cyanodon dactylon} L., \emph{Momorica dioica} Roxb.
Ex Willd., \emph{Parthenium argentatum} A.Gray.

\emph{Conservation status}

Currently, the new species is only known from a single location. We have
located 45 mature individuals during the field surveys in the study area
which covers an area of 3 km\textsuperscript{2}. The investigation has
not been through enough to fully decipher species distribution. As a
result, it is classified as Data Deficient (DD) here, according to the
IUCN Red List Categories version 14 (2019 However, more extensive
research in similar habitats and microenvironments in neighboring places
is needed to determine the distribution range in other parts of the
region and establish a better understanding of its population size, area
of occupancy, and range of occurrence.

\textbf{Discussions}

\emph{Dactyloctenium ruderalis} is closely allied to \emph{D.
aristatum}Link but differentiated as in table 1. and key to with its
closely related species is as mentioned above. Various herbaria have
been consulted in India and abroad to ascertain the identity of species
by comparing the specimens. \emph{D. ruderalis} and \emph{D.
germinatum}share some characteristic features like height and rare
occurrence of singe spike in the latter. Since, the former is
non-stoloniferous and the letter is stoloniferous. The new species is
reported from Jammu where \emph{D. aegyptium} is frequently found. Of
these two species the former is stoloniferous and prostrate and
ascending and the letter is more closely allied \emph{D. aristatum.}
Both these species are rooting from the base of stem.

\textbf{Key to closely related Indian species}

1. +- Plants stoloniferous
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2

-- Plants non-stoloniferous
------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

2. Stems many from the base erect, upto 120 cm tall, tip of rachis
produced upto 2.7 mm long
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

\emph{Dactyloctenium germinatum}

-- Plants stoloniferous; stem erect, prostrate to decumbent; tip of
rachis shortly produced upto 2.5 mm long; leaf lamina sparsely hairy
-----------------------

\emph{Dactyloctenium aegyptium}

3. +- Plants erect to prostrate
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3

3. + Plants 5--45 cm tall; stem decumbent or ascending, often rooting
from the basal nodes; tip of rachis upto 5 mm long (always more than 2.5
mm); leaf lamina profusely hairy; peduncle 2--10 cm
long--------------------------------------------------------------

\emph{D. aristatum}

-- Plants 60-- 80 cm tall; stem erect, non-rooting from the basal nodes;
tip of rachis 3--6 mm long; peduncle 20--30 cm long
----------------------------------------------------

\emph{D. ruderalis}

\emph{Acknowledgments} \textbf{-}

\emph{Funding -} The study received no external funding\emph{.}

\textbf{Author contributions}

\textbf{B.L.Bhellum:} Conceptualization (lead); Data curation (lead);
Investigation (lead); Methodology (equal); Supervision (lead);
Validation (lead); Visualization (lead); Writing -- original draft
(equal); Writing -- review and editing (equal);. \textbf{Kanwaljeet
Singh:} Methodology (equal); Writing -- review and editing
(equal).\textbf{Sumeet Gairola:} Data curation (equal); Methodology
(equal); Validation (equal); Writing -- review and editing (equal).

\textbf{Data availability statement}

There are no additional data for this paper.

\textbf{References}

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and Industrial Research, New Delhi,.

Chowdhery, H. J. and Wadhwa, B.M. 1984. Flora of Himachal Pradesh
analysis, vol. 1. B.S.I. Publication, Delhi.

Duthie, J. F. 1915. Flora of the upper Gangetic Plain. Office of the
superintendent of government printing.

Hatch, S. L.~2003. \emph{Dactyloctenium} . -- In: Barkworth, M. E. and
al. (eds), Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25:112-114.

Holm, J. R., Pancho, J. V., Herberger, J. V. and Plucknett, D. L. 1979.
A Geographical~Atlas of World Weeds. John Wiley and Sons, New York.

IUCN (2019) Guidelines for using the IUCN Red list categories and
criteria. Version 14. Prepared by the standards and petitions
subcommittee. Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/
documents/RedListGuidelines.pdf

Kandwal, M. K. and Gupta, B. K. 2009. An update on grass flora of
Uttarakhand. -- Indian Journal of Forestry 32:657-68.

Kellogg, E.A., Abbott, J. R., Bawa, K. S,, Gandhi, K. N., Kailash, B.
R., Ganeshaiah, K. N., Shrestha, U. B. and Raven, P., 2020. Checklist of
the grasses of India. -- Phyto Keys 163:1--560.

Landge, S.N., Shinde, R.D., Mistry, M. K. 2021. On the correct identity
and distribution of \emph{Dactyloctenium scindicum} (Poaceae:
Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae: Dactylocteniinae) in the Indo-Gangetic
plains and Peninsular India and notes on other species in India. --
Rheedea 31:282--295.

Nagaraju, S., Prasad, K. and Prasanna, P.V. 2020. Grass Genera of
Southern India, A field guide and Checklist. Vision Educational and
Welfare Society, Tadepalligudem, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Oommachan, M. 1977. Flora of Bhopal (angiosperms). J. K. Jain Brothers,
Bhopal.

POWO, 2022. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew. Available from: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org Mao,
A.A. and Dash, S.S. 2020. Flowering Plants of India- an annotated
checklist-- Monocotyledons. Botanical Survey of India.

Sharma, B.M., Kachroo, P. 1981. Flora of Jammu and Plants of
neighborhood. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun.

Simpson, G. M. 1990. Seed Dormancy in Grasses. New York: Press Syndicate
of the University of Cambridge.

Singh, G. 2019. Plant systematics: an integrated approach. CRC Press.

Singh, G. and Kachroo, P. 1976. Forest Flora of Srinagar and Plants of
neighborhood. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun.

Thiers, B. 2023. Index Herbariorum: A global directory of public
herbaria and associated staff. Available from: http://sweetgum.
nybg.org/ih/.

Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz. 1992. The Grass Genera of the World.
Wallingford, U.K. CAB International.

Flora of China Editorial Committee. 2016. Flora of China. St. Louis,
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and Harvard University Herbaria.

Table 1. Morphological comparison of diagnostic characters
of\emph{Dactyloctenium ruderalis} , sp. nov., and its closely allied

\emph{D. aristatum}\selectlanguage{english}
\begin{longtable}[]{@{}lll@{}}
\toprule
Character & \emph{Dactyloctenium ruderalis} & \emph{D.
aristatum}\tabularnewline
\midrule
\endhead
Plant height(cm) & 50--80, erect & 15--45, erect or
prostrate\tabularnewline
Leaf length & 2--10 cm & 12--17 cm\tabularnewline
Peduncle length (cm) & 20--40 long, apex curved and beared & 3--10 long,
apex slightly curved, pubescent\tabularnewline
Spikes Spike length & One 0.5--2.0 cm & One or more 2.5--3.2
cm\tabularnewline
Stem & one & One or branched\tabularnewline
Basal nodes & rooting absent & rooting present at base\tabularnewline
\bottomrule
\end{longtable}

\textbf{Hosted file}

\verb`Figure 1.  Dactyloctenium location.docx`  available at \url{https://authorea.com/users/723594/articles/708453-dactyloctenium-ruderalis-poaceae-a-new-species-from-jammu-and-kashmir-india}\selectlanguage{english}
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\includegraphics[width=0.70\columnwidth]{figures/Figure-3-Dactylotenium/Figure-3-Dactylotenium}

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