GRASS DIVERSITY OF KERALA ENDEMISM AND ITS PHYTOGEOGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE KIRAN RAJ, M. S., M. SIVADASAN & *N. RAVI Department of Botany, University of Calicut, 673 635, Kerala, India * ‘Verbena’, Mundakkal Middle., Kollam-1, Kerala Grass World Grasses belong to the family Poaceae. They form the fifth largest angiosperm family in the World, having over 10,000 species belong to 650 genera. *** Poa L.(ca. 500 spp.), Panicum L. (ca. 470 spp.) and Festuca L. (380 spp.) are the largest genera in the family. Wheat Kerala File “Grass is the flesh..., Grass is the King. It rules and governs the World. It is the very foundation of all commerce; without it the earth would be a barren waste, and cotton, gold, and commerce of all dead” *** Kerala is blessed with wide diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resourses and it represents an epitome of Biodiversity of the Western Ghats. About 4000 species of flowering plants are represented here, of which 6% are strictly endemic to the State. *** Though the State represents only 1.8% of the total geographic area of India, it holds about 22% of the total angiosperm diversity. -Robinson- Supply 50% of the World’s food, and made civilizations through the triploid endosperm of the grasses like Wheat, Barley, Rice, Oats, Maize & Millets. Endemic At a glance... *** About 120 endemic species of the Western ghats are represented in the State, of which 52 species are strictly confined to the State. The largest family in the Kerala State, comprises over 340 spp. belonging to108 genera. Ischaemum L. (32 spp.) and Dimeria R. Br. (21 spp.) are being the largest genera. *** The State holds about 27% of the total grass species of India and 31% of total endemic grass species. One of the most successful families, enjoys cosmopolitan distribution. Kerala Peninsular India Exclusive endemics Endemics Indian Scenario 500 1000 1500 2000 No. of spp. < Dimeria lowsonii (Hook,f. )C.E.C.Fisch., an interesting annual grass from dry grasslands. F a c t s & F i g u r e s The largest family of the country, has about 1250 species under 266 genera. Poa L. (ca. 50 spp.), Ischaemum L. (52 spp.) and Dimeria R. Br. (46 spp.) are the largest genera Silentvalleya nairii Nair et al., a monotypic endemic genus, exclusively found in Silent Valley National Park. > Endemism ... 27. Ischaemum copeanum Sreek. (A) 28. Ischaemum elimalayanum Sreek. (P) 29. Ischaemum jayachandranii Ansari (P) 30. Ischaemum keralensis Sreek. (A) 31. Ischaemum kumaracodiensis Ravi et al. (P) 32. Ischaemum lanatum Ravi et al. (A) 33. Ischaemum malabaricum Sreek. (A) 34. Ischaemum nayarii Nair & Sreek. (P) 35. Ischaemum pappinisseriensis Ravi et al. (A) 36. Ischaemum quilonensis Ravi & Shaju (P) 37. Ischaemum raui Sreek. et al. (A) 38. Ischaemum tadulingamii Nair & Sreek. (A) 39. Ischaemum vembanadense Patil & D’Cruz (P) 40. Ischaemum pushpangadanii Ravi et al. (P) 41. Ochlandra beddomei Gamble (M) 42. Ochlandra ebracteata Raizada & Chatterji (M) 43. Ochlandra keralensis Muktesh et al. (M) 44. Ochlandra soderstromiana Muktesh & Stephen (M0 45. Ochlandra spirostylis Muktesh et al. (M) 46. Pseudoxytenanthera bourdillonii (Gamble) Naithani (M) 47. Silentvalleya nairii Nair et al. (P) 48. Tripogon narayanii Sreek. et al. (P) 49. Tripogon sivarajanii Sunil (P) 50. Tripogon vellarianus Pradeep (P) 51. Themeda sabarimalayana Sreek et al. (P) 52. Zenkeria jainii Nair et al. (P) 1. Arundinella cannanorica Nair et al. (A) 2. Bhidea fischeri Sreek. & Shetty (A) 3. Bothrichloa parameswaranii Sreek. et al. (P) 4. Chrysopogon purushothamanii Ravi et al. (P) 5. Chrysopogon tadulingamii Sreek. et al. (P) 6. Dimeria agasthyamalayana Kiran Raj & Ravi (A) 7. Dimeria borii Sreek. et al. (A) 8. Dimeria chelariensis Ravi (P) 9. Dimeria copeana Sreek. (P) 10. Dimeria copei Ravi (A) 11. Dimeria eradii Ravi (A) 12. Dimeria idukkiensis Ravi & Anil (A) 13. Dimeria jainii Sreek. et al. (A) 14. Dimeria josephii Ravi & Mohanan (A) 15. Dimeria kalavoorensis Ravi (A) 16. Dimeria keralae Nair et al. (A) 17. Dimeria kurumthotticalana Jacob (A) 18. Dimeria namboodiriana Ravi & Mohanan (P) 19. Dimeria raizadae Nair et al. (A) 20. Dimeria sivarajanii Mohanan & Ravi (A) 21. Dimeria sreenarayanii Ravi & Anil (A) 22. Isachne fischerii Bor (A) 23. Isachne henrii Sreeni. & Sreek. (A) 24. Ischaemum agasthyamalayanum Sreek. (P) 25. Ischaemum calicutensis Sreek. (P) 26. Ischaemum cannanorensis Sreek. (P) India 0 diversity About 400 species are strictly endemic to India. 15 endemic genera occuring here, of which 13 are monotypic. Most of the endemics are concentrated in Peninsular India especially in Western ghat region. N (A) Annual Grass dominated ecosystems of Kerala (P) Perennial (M) Multinnial Phytogeographical affinitis Comprise about 250 sq. km. geogrphical area of the State. *** About 45% of the species show affinity with Sri Lanka grass flora. The genera like Dimeria R. Br., Zenkeria Trin. , Ochlandra Thw. have common range of distribution with Sri Lanka and share many endemic species. Two major Grassland types 1. Low level grasslands:- Occuring below 1000 m altitude, holds highest number of endemic species in the state (31 spp.). Two types viz., a) Wet grasslands of Southern Kerala: Usually found along coastal areas, back waters, wet lands and pools. Phragmites sp. Arundo sp., Ischaemum spp., Saccharum sp. etc are common. Dimeria eradii Ravi, an endemic grass from Dry grasslands of Kannur Dist. *** b) Dry grass lands of Northen Kerala: Usually laterite rocky areas of the lowland region. Arundinella spp., Aristida sp., Dimeria sp. Dichanthium spp. etc are common. Low level grasslands of Northern kerala holds about 26 exclusive endemics of the State. Bekal Fort in Background 2. High altitude grasslands: Commonly known as ‘Montane grasslands’, found above 1000 m altitude. Cymbopogon spp., Themeda spp., Tripogon spp., Chrysopogon spp., etc. are common. * 41 THARIYODE About 24% of the species show affinity with Tropical Africa including Madagascar. Eragrostiella Bor, Melinis P. Beauv., Pseudochinolaena Stapf, Dimeria R. Br., Cliestachne Benth., Vetiveria Bory, Heteropogon Pers., Microchloa R. Br., Schizachyrium Nees, Cymbopogon Spreng., etc. are some important genera, and their species diversity show maximum affinity with that of the State. * * * 7, 13, 19, 23, 24, 25, 33, 40, 50 VELLARIMALA, POKKUNNAMALA, KAKKAYAM HILS * 46 NILAMBUR * 47 SILENT VALLEY * 8, 11 CHELARI M ‘Shola-Grasslands of Pakshipadalam, Waynad Dist. I D L * 14 NENMARA * 46 ADIRAPALLY A L H N O Many grasslands of the highlands are dotted with patches of evergren forests that form the ‘Shola-grasslands’, which constitute to a unique ecological entity. Many grass elements are endemic to these “Rolling grasslands”. *** Four types of grassland communities, viz. Sehima-Dichanthium type (Usually found in Dry grasslands), Cymbopogon-Themeda type (found in High altitude grasslands) Saccharum-Imperata-Phragmites type (Usually found in Wet grasslands) and Zoysia-Sporobolus type (found in Lowlevel grasslands) Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv., an interesting African wild grass from low level grass lands of Central Kerala. 1, 2, 5, 16, 23, 26, 27, * * * 28,29, 32, 33, 35, 37 DRY GRASSLANDS OF KANNUR * * * 3, 22, 38, 44, 45, 48, 52 ANAMUDI RANGES I G H L High altitude grasslands of Sabarigiri Hills, Pathanamthitta Dist. D W Low level Wet grasslands of Alappuzha Dist. High altitude grasslands of Eravikulam National Park. Anamudi- in background L A N A Western Ghats - A ‘Cradle’ of Grass evolution ? N D D Criteria 9, 10, 15, 31, 39 *** Occurence of primitive Bamboo genus - Ochlandra Thw. and the highest concentration of WET GRASSLANDS advanced group - Andropogonoids (ca. 82 % world spp.) in Peninsular India, especially W. Ghats OF ALAPPUZHA * Occurence of isolated endemic genera like Glyphochloa, Bhidea Stapf, etc. Out of the15 endemic genera of the country, 13 are strictly confined to Western Ghat region. * Supposed to be the center of origin of many genera, viz. Zenkeria Trin, (100 % of the World spp.), Mnesithea Kunth (100%) , Heteropogon Pers. (100%), Pseudanthistiria (Hack.) Hook.f. (100%), Eragrostiella P.Beauv. (90%), Ochlandra Thw. (88%), Arthraxon P.Beauv (60%), Ischaemum L. (60%) , Dimeria R.Br. (55 % ), Dichanthium Willemet (55%), Isachne R. Br. (48 %), Tripogon Roem. et Schult. (56%), Chrysopogon Trin. (51%). * High concentration of endemic grasses of India (43%). Ischaemum quilonensis Ravi & Shaju, an * endemic grass from low level Wet grasslands of Southern Kerala. Occurence of 24 monotypic genera. Of this, 11 are endemic. * * * 17, 46, 49 PEERMEDU * * * 4, 12, 18, 20, 21, 29, 43, 17, 51 SABARIGIRI RANGES * 42 KULATHUPUZHA * 36 KOLLAM Grass lands of Agasthyamala Biological Park *** 6, 23, 42, 45 AGASTHYAMALA RANGES Acknowledgement: C. S. I. R., New Delhi for the award of Senior Research Fellowship. Concieved by MSK RAJ