Introduction
The genus 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). 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 Dactyloctenium have been described so
far and are Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd.,
Dactyloctenium aristatum Link, Dactyloctenium australeSteud., Dactyloctenium scindicum Boiss. (Kellogg’s et al. 2020;
Landge et al. 2021).
D. scindicum is strictly confined to the drier parts of
northwestern states, such as northern Gujarat and Rajasthan. 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 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 ofDactyloctenium specimen identification in general.
During our floristic survey on in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir,
India unknown specimens of 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 ofDactyloctenium . Accordingly, this new species is described and
illustrated here.