NOVON 7(3): 227-230. 1997.

A New Subspecies and New Combinations in Chinese Triticeae (Poaceae)

Shou-Liang Chen

Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Academia Sinica, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, People’s Republic of China

ABSTRACT. Triticum aestivum subsp. yunnanense King ex S. L. Chen from Qinghai Province, China, is described as new. In addition, a new combination in Psathyrostachys, 18 new combinations in Elymus, and 6 new combinations in Kengyilia are proposed.

During preparation of the Poaceae (Gramineae) treatment for the Flora of China, it became evident that the nomenclature of several specific and infraspecific taxa in Triticeae needed adjustment. I propose the following novelties in order to make these names available for this and other Chinese floristic works now in progress.

Elymus

Elymus aliena (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria aliena Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 31. 1963. TYPE: China. Hubei: Lai-Yuan Hsien, near Tsun-Er-Kou, 1100 m, 14 June 1934, K. M. Liou 2424 (holotype, PE).

Roegneria foliosa Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 32. 1963. Syn. nov.

TYPE: China. Nei Mongol: Peiling Miao, Madoni Ama, 10 Aug. 1935, Roerich Exped. 770 (holotype, PE).

Roegneria foliosa is here reduced to synonymy of Elymus aliena: the two are very similar in having culms loosely tufted, leaf sheaths longer than internodes, leaf blades flat and 4--9 mm wide, spikelets with 4--6 florets, glumes oblong-lanceolate and 7--8 mm, lemmas lanceolate, and first lemma 9--10 mm and with awns 1--2.5 cm.

Here and elsewhere in this paper, the names cited as "Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) vol. 1, 1963" represent validation of nomina nuda given by Keng in "Clav. Gen. & Sp. Gram. Sin.," which first appeared in 1957.

Elymus aristiglumis (Keng & S. L. Chen) S. L. Chen var. hirsutus (H. L. Yang) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria aristiglumis Keng & S. L. Chen var. hirsuta H. L. Yang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 253. 1980. TYPE: China. Xizang: Gaize, 4450 m, 6 Sep. 1974, Xizang Exped. Inst. Biol. Qinghai 4294 (holotype, HNWP).

Variety hirsutus has involute leaf blades less than 2 mm wide and lemmas with hirtellous calluses. Variety aristiglumis has flat leaf blades 4--5 mm wide and lemmas with glabrous calluses.

Elymus aristiglumis (Keng & S. L. Chen) S. L. Chen var. leianthus (H. L. Yang) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria aristiglumis Keng & S. L. Chen var. leiantha H. L. Yang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 253. 1980. TYPE: China. Xizang: Ali, Pulan, 5200 m, 20 July 1976, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 76-8250 (holotype, HNWP).

Variety leianthus has glumes and lemmas glabrous and smooth throughout and lemmas with awns up to 4 cm. Variety aristiglumis has glumes with scabrous veins and lemmas hirsute on the upper part, with awns 2--3 cm.

Elymus barbicallus (Ohwi) S. L. Chen var. pubifolius (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria barbicalla Ohwi var. pubifolia Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 25. 1963. TYPE: China. Shanxi: Lin-Shih Hsien, Mien Shan, 1350 m, 29 May 1929, T. Tang 887 (holotype, PE).

Variety pubifolius has leaf blades adaxially pilose, whereas variety barbicallus has leaf blades glabrous or scabrous on both surfaces.

Elymus barbicallus (Ohwi) S. L. Chen var. pubinodis (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria barbicalla Ohwi var. pubinodis Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 24. 1963. TYPE: China. Hubei: Nei-Kiu Hsien, 17 June 1951, H. Y. Liou 441 (holotype, PE).

This taxon differs from the other two varieties of Elymus barbicallus by its culms with puberulent internodes just below the nodes and its white puberulent nodes.

Elymus ciliaris (Trinius) Tzvelev var. amurensis (Drobov) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Agropyron amurense Drobov, Trudy Bot. Muz. Imp. Akad. Nauk 12: 50. 1914. TYPE: Russia. Amur: Soyuznoe village downstream of Amur, 19 June 1891, S. Korzhinski (holotype, ?; isotype, LE).

Variety amurensis is readily distinguished from variety ciliaris by its oblong-lanceolate glumes with acute to acuminate apexes and longer lemmas.

Elymus ciliaris (Trinius) Tzvelev var. hirtiflorus (C. P. Wang & H. L. Yang) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria hirtiflora C. P. Wang & H. L. Yang, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 4(4): 86. 1984. TYPE: China. Nei Mongol: Datsingshan-Bakouchi, 15 July 1960, C. P. Wang 099 (holotype, NMAC).

Variety hirtiflorus differs from variety ciliaris in having pubescent leaf blades, oblong-lanceolate glumes with white hairs along veins and margins, hispid lemmas with pointed scabrous backs, and awns 1.5--2.5 cm. Variety ciliaris has elliptic-lanceolate glumes, lemmas 8--9 mm and hispid only on back, and awns 1--3 cm with long-ciliate margins.

Elymus ciliaris (Trinius) Tzvelev var. japonensis (Honda) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Agropyron japonense Honda, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 49: 698. 1935. New name for A. japonicum Honda, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 41: 384. 1927, not A. japonicum Tracy, U.S.D.A. Farmers Bull. 18: 13. 1894. TYPE: Japan. Hondo: Kasukabe, prov. Musashi, 1926, K. Hisauchi (lectotype, here designated, TI).

Variety japonensis differs from variety ciliaris by its glumes 6--8 mm, lemmas ca. 8 mm, awns 0.5--2.5 cm, and paleas scabrous along upper keels. Variety ciliaris has glumes 7--9 mm, lemmas 8--9 mm, awns 1--3 cm, and paleas ciliate along upper keels.

Elymus ciliaris (Trinius) Tzvelev var. submuticus (Honda) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Agropyron ciliare (Trinius) Franchet var. submuticum Honda, J. Fac. Univ. Tokyo, Sect. 3, Bot. 3: 27. 1930. TYPE: Japan. Kiusiu: in littore Kushikino, prov. Satsuma, 1925, Y. Doi 84 (holotype, TI).

This variety differs from variety ciliaris by its lemmas with pointed apexes or with awns less than 7 mm. Variety ciliaris has hispid lemmas with reflexed awns 10--30 mm.

Elymus confusus (Roshevitz) Tzvelev var. breviaristatus (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria confusa (Roshevitz) Nevski var. breviaristata Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 52. 1963. TYPE: China. Xinjiang: Yen-Che, Tsa-Ta-Shih-Ha, 19 Aug. 1954, M. S. Chu 2 (holotype, N).

Variety breviaristatus differs from variety confusus in having culms ca. 30 cm tall and 5-veined lemmas with awns 1.3--1.5 cm. Variety confusus has culms 50--100 cm tall and 5--7-veined lemmas with awns 2--2.5 cm.

Elymus dahuricus Turczaninow var. xiningensis (L. B. Cai) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Elymus xiningensis L. B. Cai, Acta Bot. Boreal.-Occid. Sin. 13(1): 71. 1993. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Xining, Nanshan, 2600 m, 5 Aug. 1985, Yuhu Wu 1857 (holotype, HNWP).

This variety differs from variety dahuricus by its lemmas ca. 8 mm with straight awns 2--5 mm. Variety dahuricus has lemmas ca. 9 mm with awns 10--20 mm.

Elymus formosanus (Honda) A. Löve var. pubigerus (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria formosana (Honda) Ohwi var. pubigera Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 60. 1963. TYPE: China. Taiwan: no locality or collector given, "Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. No. 82369" (holotype, PE).

Variety pubigerus differs from variety formosanus in having culms 30--50 cm tall, leaf sheaths pubescent at base, blades 2--4 mm wide, and lemmas with awns 1--2 cm. Variety formosanus has culms 60--90 cm tall, glabrous leaf sheaths, blades 4--6 mm wide, and lemmas with awns 2--3.5 cm.

Elymus jufinshanicus (C. P. Wang & H. L. Yang) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria alashanica Keng var. jufinshanica C. P. Wang & H. L. Yang, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 4(4): 87. 1984. TYPE: China. Nei Mongol: Daqingshan-Jufinshan, 2200 m, 15 July 1964, Y. C. Ma & C. R. Wu 20 (holotype, NMAC).

Elymus jufinshanicus differs from E. alashanicus (Keng) S. L. Chen in having glumes equal or subequal to the first lemma and densely pubescent on the inner surface, lemmas with awns ca. 5 mm, and densely pubescent rachilla. Elymus alashanicus has glumes much shorter than the first lemma and glabrous on both surfaces, lemmas without awns, and glabrous rachilla.

Elymus leianthus (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria leiantha Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 42. 1963. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Ta-Tung Hsien, 2380 m, 3 July 1945, Hoogin 758 (holotype, N).

Elymus leianthus is similar to E. fibrosus (Schrenk) Tzvelev in having 2-sided spikes, subequal glumes, and paleas equal or subequal to lemmas. It differs from E. fibrosus by its leaf blades 2--4 mm wide, spikes ca. 12 cm, and lemmas with awns 4--5 mm. Elymus fibrosus has leaf blades 3--7 mm wide, spikes 6--10 cm, and lemmas with subulate-acuminate apexes.

Elymus mutabilis (Drobov) Tzvelev var. praecaespitosus (Nevski) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Agropyron praecaespitosum Nevski, Izv. Glavn. Bot. Sada SSSR 29: 541. 1930. TYPE: [Kyrgyzstan]. Turkestania. Kuldsha, Jultu-Aristan, 7 July 1879, A. Regel 108 (holotype, LE).

This variety differs from variety mutabilis by its spikelets usually glaucous or purplish glaucous.

Elymus sinicus (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria sinica Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 33. 1963. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Hsi-ning Hsien, near Hsü-Chia-Chai, 19 Aug. 1944, Y. L. Keng & P. C. Keng 5505 (holotype, N).

The length of the awn and width of the leaf blades are very variable in this species. Therefore, it is not practical to divide it into varieties.

Elymus tenuispicus (J. L. Yang & Y. H. Zhou) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria tenuispica J. L. Yang & Y. H. Zhou, Novon 4: 307. 1994. TYPE: China. Xizang (Tibet): Eluo, Changdu to Ruiwuqi highway 22 km, alt. 3580 m, 25 Sep. 1989, J. L. Yang & B. R. Lu 890955 (holotype, SAUT).

Elymus tenuispicus is similar to E. pendulinus by its nodding spike and lemmas with straight awns. It differs from E. pendulinus in having shorter spikes 9.2--10.5 cm, glumes 5--6.5 mm, and lemmas 6.5--8 mm. Elymus pendulinus has spikes 14--20 cm, glumes 7--10 mm, and lemmas 9--11 mm.

Elymus tridentatus (Yen & J. L. Yang) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria tridentata Yen & J. L. Yang, Novon 4: 310. 1994. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Wenquan, Xinhai, km 337 on highway 214, rocky slope, 3750 m, 19 Sep. 1992, J. L. Yang et al. 9202014 (holotype, SAUT; isotype, MO).

Elymus tridentatus is similar to E. tsuhushiensis by its 2n = 6x = 42 and genome SYH; hence it should be referred to Elymus. It differs from E. tsuhushiensis by its lemmas, which are oblong-lanceolate, white pubescent on lateral and lower parts, and truncate and 3-toothed at apex. Elymus tsuhushiensis has lemmas only hispid along margins and with awns 18--40 mm.

Kengyilia

Kengyilia alatavica (Drobov) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Agropyron alatavicum Drobov, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 21: 43. 1925. TYPE: "Alma-Ata, Fl. Czilik, 1915, Abolin 2867" (lectotype, TAK; see N. N. Tzevelev, Poaceae URSS p. 131. 1976).

This species is similar to Kengyilia grandiglumis (Keng) J. L. Yang, Yen & Baum by its dense spike, 2n = 42, and genome SSYYPP. Therefore, it should be referred to Kengyilia.

Kengyilia batalinii (A. N. Krasnov) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Triticum batalinii Krasn., Spisok Rast., Sobr. v Vost. Tyanj. Schane: 120. 1887. TYPE: [Kyrgyzstan]. Tian Shan: near Sary-Jassy, Krasnov s.n. (holotype, LE; isotype, LE).

This species is similar to Kengyilia grandiglumis (Keng) S. L. Chen and K. alatavica by its dense spike, 2n = 42, and genome SSYYPP. Therefore, it should be referred to Kengyilia.

Kengyilia geminata (Keng & S. L. Chen) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria geminata Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 80. 1963. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Wei-Yuan Hsien, Ho-Nan-Mu-Ti, Tsi-Ma-Tu-Kou, 3000 m, 16 Aug. 1957, P. C. Keng, C. Lie & C. P. Yung 109 (holotype, N).

This species should be referred to Kengyilia because of its dense spike and hirsute lemmas.

Kengyilia kaschgarica (D. F. Cui) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Elymus kaschgaricus D. F. Cui, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 10(3): 27. 1990. TYPE: China. Xinjiang: Tashikurgan and Aheqi Xian, 2800--3800 m, 4 July 1978, Exped. Xinjiang Northwest Inst. Bot. No. 922 (holotype, XJBI).

This species is similar to Kengyilia hirsuta by its densely tufted culms, erect and dense spike, and densely pubescent lemmas. It differs in having lemmas with recurved awns 7--11 mm.

Kengyilia melanthera (Keng) J. L. Yang, Yen & Baum var. tahopaica (Keng) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Roegneria melanthera (Keng) Keng var. tahopaica Keng, in Keng & S. L. Chen, J. Nanjing Univ. (Biol.) 1: 78--79. 1963. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Tahopai, 19 July 1935, C. W. Yao 873 (holotype, PE).

Variety tahopaica differs from variety melanthera in having culms 40--60 cm, densely pubescent glumes, and awnless or pointed lemmas. Variety melanthera has culms 15--25 cm, glabrous or puberulent glumes, and lemmas with awns 2--4 mm.

Kengyilia thoroldiana (Oliver) J. L. Yang, Yen & Baum var. laxiuscula (Melderis) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Agropyron thoroldianum Oliver var. laxiusculum Melderis, in Bor, Grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India & Pakistan 696. 1960. TYPE: China. S. Tibet: Khamba Jong, 8 and 11 July 1903, F. E. Younghusband 32 (holotype, K).

Variety laxiuscula has glumes only scabrous on midveins and rather loose spikes 5--7.5 cm (excluding awns). Variety thoroldiana has villose glumes and denser spikes 3--4 mm.

Psathyrostachys

Psathyrostachys juncea (Fischer) Nevski var. hyalantha (Rupr.) S. L. Chen, comb. nov. Basionym: Elymus hyalanthus Rupr., in Osten-Sacken & Rupr., Sert. Tianschan. [Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint Pétersbourg, ser. 7, 14:] 36. 1869. TYPE: [Kyrgyzstan]. Dschaman-Davan, 20 July 1867, Osten-Sacken (holotype, LE).

Psathyrostachys juncea var. hyalantha is easily distinguished from variety juncea by its culms with short soft hairs below the spike and its purple anthers. Variety juncea has glabrous and nearly smooth culms and yellow anthers.

Triticum

Triticum aestivum L. subsp. yunnanense King ex S. L. Chen, subsp. nov. Triticum aestivum subsp. yunnanense King (Sp. Coll. Res. Nanjing Agr. Coll. 2: 21--22. 1959), nom. invalid. TYPE: China. Qinghai: Xining, cultivated in NW Pl. Inst. Biol. Acad. Sin., 2230 m, 14 Aug. 1990, L. B. Cai 54 (holotype, HNWP).

A typo internodis rhacheos flagilibus; glumis ovatis durioribus, glabris vel puberulis; fructis rubris, fulvidis vel albellis praesertim recedit.

The name was invalidly published because the description was not accompanied by a Latin diagnosis, and no type was designated.

Acknowledgments. I am grateful to Ihsan Al-Shehbaz and Guang Yang for their help in the preparation of the manuscript.