Pleione 13(1): 90 - 102. 2019. © East Himalayan Society for Spermatophyte Taxonomy Doi:10.26679/Pleione.13.1.2019.090-102 ISSN: 0973-9467 A conspectus of the tribe Andropogoneae of Poaceae in Western Himalaya Shailja Tripathi, Priyanka Agnihotri1, Rekha Yadav, Dileshwar Prasad, Shubham Jaiswal and Tariq Husain Plant diversity, Systematics & Herbarium Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow - 226001, India 1 Corresponding author; e-mail: priyagni_2006@yahoo.co.in [Received 30.05.2019; Revised 22.06.2019; Accepted 28.06.2019; Published 30.06.2019] Abstract The present work is a critical assessment of published literature, herbarium records and field observations on the diversity, distribution and endemism in the tribe Andropogoneae belonging to the family Poaceae (Grasses) from Western Himalaya. A total of 33 genera with 113 species and one sub-species have been recorded from Western Himalaya. Maximum species diversity has been observed between an elevation of 1500 6 2000 m asl and the most diverse genus is Cymbopogon which is represented by 12 species and one sub-species. The tribe is of enormous economic potential and thereby needs documentation of its diversity and conservation status. Key words: Andropogoneae, Poaceae, diversity, distribution, endemism, Western Himalaya INTRODUCTION Western Himalaya refers to the western half of the Himalayan mountain region, which stretches from northeastern Afghanistan through India to central Nepal. In India, Western Himalaya spreads over three states viz. Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, categorized as one phytogeographic unit encompassing an area of about 3.31 lakh square km which represents ca 10% of the total geographical area of the country (Jalal & Jayanthi 2015). Western Himalaya has always been a fascinating spot for the botanists for exploration of biodiversity. Distinctive features of the Western Himalaya render it complexity attributed to both physical as well as biological diversity. The region is bestowed with significant altitudinal and temperature gradient and variable climatic conditions, manifesting biodiversity profusion over there. Presence of valleys, glaciers, continental ridges and dunes adds to the geographical beauty of the region. Western Himalaya possesses vast biodiversity which is still untapped and requires major efforts to explore the region entirely so that new insights can be inferred relevant for nature and mankind. From ancient times, different workers have been involved in the study of the diversity of various life forms present in the Western Himalayan region. In this context, plants have always been the keen centre of attraction alluring the researchers with their beauty. Most of the plants are very showy and beautiful and therefore easily get selected to work upon. Several studies have been made in such type of Himalayan plants including those of Pedicularis (Husain et al. 2010), Aconitum (Agnihotri et al. 2015), Delphinium (Agnihotri & Husain 2019) and orchids (Jalal & Jayanthi 2015). Grasses, on the other hand, lack the conspicuous features and therefore, have been overlooked by botanists. Despite the utmost importance of grasses to mankind, it continues to be a neglected subject (Yadav 2010). Shailja Tripathi et al. 91 Inconspicuous floral organs, difficult identification, the complicated structure of the spikelets and inflorescence repel the researchers to get in touch with grasses. Taxonomically, grasses are highly complex in nature and require incentives to resolve the complexity of the group. Being one of the regions of biodiversity hot spots, Western Himalaya has an abundance of floristic diversity. Grasses form an integral part of this diversity. Unfortunately, due to the above-specified reasons, grasses are always taken for granted due to which significant studies of grasses have not been undertaken yet. Keeping in mind these aspects and realizing the relevance of grass study, the present study has been designed to frame a picture of biodiversity of a particular tribe Andropogoneae which later would be complemented by the study of the whole group of grasses from the specified region. The tribe Andropogoneae (Poaceae) nested in the subfamily Panicoideae along with Maydeae and Paniceae is characterized by the presence of fragile racemes bearing spikelets (Clayton 1981). Globally, ca 1000 species belonging to 85 genera of Andropogoneae (Clayton et al. 1986) are known to be widely distributed in the tropics and extend into warm temperates. Hartley in 1950 on the basis of his studies suggested that the Indo-Malayan region has relatively rich species diversity of the group highly concentrated in Western India and Southern Indonesia. In Indian context, the recent studies (Kiran et al. 2008) revealed that Peninsular India especially the region of Western Ghats is considered to be the centre of diversity of Andropogonoid grasses supported by morpho-taxonomic and phytogeographical analysis. Members of Andropogoneae bear paired spikelets with one sessile and other pedicelled, arranged in modified racemes terminating in a triad of one sessile and two pedicelled spikelets (Simon 2007). Most of the Andropogonoids possess a distinctive disarticulating rachis which is responsible for their worldwide distribution (Clayton 1987). The variations in climatic factors considerably influence the distribution of these grasses (Hartley 1950). Extreme morphological variations in the inflorescence and raceme segments of the tribe render it as one of the most complex groups of grasses. The occurrence of inter-generic hybrids has also been reported in the tribe (Pachakkil et al. 2018). The tribe includes several genera of ecological and economic importance distributed worldwide like Saccharum, Sorghum, Cymbopogon, Chrysopogon, etc. Most of the medicinally important and essential oilbearing grasses including Cymbopogon, Dichanthium, Saccharum, Chrysopogon belong to the tribe Andropogoneae (Shukla 1996). Views regarding the classification of grasses have always been of a controversial nature. Different workers opted distinct classification systems for classifying grasses. The first scientific subdivision of the family was done by Robert Brown in 1814 where he distinguished the spikelets of Pooideae and Panicoideae (Bor 1960). Demarcation in further divisions of the tribe Andropogoneae has been problematic (Vegetti 1998). Hackel in 1889 for the first time provided insights of Andropogoneae where he divided the tribe into five subtribes and 30 genera which are further categorized as series, subgenera and sections. Recent phylogenetic studies revealed the monophyletic origin of Andropogoneae (GPWG 2001). A floristic account of Indian grasses has been detailed by Hooker (1897) in his Flora of British India. Thereafter, an elaborated account of grasses has provided by Bor (1960). Meanwhile, various fragmentary studies on the grasses have been in prevalence. A comprehensive systematic study of grass flora from India is still lacking and this lacuna is to be filled as soon as possible. The present article is an attempt to provide an overview of the tribe Andropogoneae which can be used as baseline data for further studies of the group. Classification of grasses provided by Bor (1960) has been used as a basis in the present study. 92 Tribe Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya METHODOLOGY For abundance and distribution related information of the taxa, published literature was surveyed followed by the field observation, consultation of some national herbaria viz. CAL, CDRI, CIMAP, DD & LWG and several plant database websites etc. Based on the information, the abundance was confirmed through ground-truthing conducting sporadic field survey in the Western Himalaya region. Field surveys to the specified region were done during the months of August, September and October 2018 and extensive collections were made from Manali, Rohtang Pass, Solang valley, Naggar region of Himachal Pradesh, Pauri Garhwal, Auli, Joshimath, Srinagar and Nainital of Uttarakhand. Thereafter, identification of the specimens was done using literature from different sources. The keys of identification provided by Bor (1960), Sreekumar (1991), Shukla (1996), Potdar et al. (2012) have been used. Moreover, the herbaria specimens have also been consulted in order to make the identification more authenticated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In Western Himalaya, Poaceae is represented by 33 genera with 113 species and one subspecies (Table 1) which presents 52% of the total genera and 32% of the total species of Andropogoneae found in India and 39% of the total genera and 11% of the species found in the world (Table 2). Our data analysis displays that Uttarakhand has the maximum diversity of the Andropogonoids followed by Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir (Figure 1) 44 taxa of Andropogonoids are found to occur exclusively in Uttarakhand as compared to seven in Himachal Pradesh and none in Jammu and Kashmir. As a whole, the region is found to have 30 taxa in common among the three states. The diversity in Uttarakhand may be attributed to its topographical and climatic factors which provide suitable environmental conditions for the luxurious growth of these grasses. But it is worthy to note that diversity of Andropogonoids is found to be more in Peninsular India as compared to the Western Himalaya. This difference in diversity may be attributed to the climatic variations existing between the two regions. Table 1. Distribution of different taxa of Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya [Abbreviations used: HP = Himachal Pradesh; J&K = Jammu & Kashmir; UK = Uttarakhand] S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 01 Andropogon munroi C.B. Clarke Andropogon pumilus Roxb. Apluda mutica L. Jul. ̶ Sept. 1500 ̶ 3500 HP, UK China, Nepal Aug. ̶ Oct. 5000 UK Indo-China May. ̶ Feb. 1000 ̶ 2400 HP, J&K, UK Jul. ̶ Nov. 900 ̶ 1200 UK Sept. ̶ 300 ̶ 1200 UK Bhutan, China, Japan, Madagascar, South East Asia Bhutan, Malaysia, Thailand - 02 03 04 05 Apocopis paleacea (Trin.) Hochr. Apocopis vaginata Hack. Shailja Tripathi et al. 93 S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 05 Apocopis vaginata Hack. 300 ̶ 1200 UK - 06 Arthraxon nudus (Steud.) Hochst. Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino Arthraxon lanceolatus (Roxb.) Hochst. Arthraxon lancifolius (Trin.) Hochst. Sept. ̶ Dec. Aug. ̶ Feb. Sept. ̶ Oct. 1200 ̶ 1300 UK 1700 HP, UK Myanmar, China, Thailand Bhutan, China Aug. ̶ Jan. 2400 HP, UK Arabia, Nepal, China Jul. ̶ Oct. 1500 ̶ 2000 HP, J&K, UK Sept. 1200 ̶ 1500 HP Africa, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Malaysia Bhutan, Nepal May. ̶ Aug. Aug. ̶ Sept. Sept. ̶ Oct. 600 ̶ 3600 HP, J&K Africa, Bhutan 1600 UK - 600 ̶ 1800 HP China Apr. ̶ Jun. 950 HP, J&K, UK Bothriochloa insculpta (A.Rich.) A. Camus Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng Sept. ̶ Jan. Jul. ̶ Oct. 1500 UK Africa, Australia, Bhutan, China, Pakistan Australasia, Europe 3600 HP, UK Bothriochloa kuntzeana (Hack.) Henrard Bothriochloa pertusa (L.) A. Camus Sept. ̶ Dec. Jul. ̶ Oct. 1500 UK 1500 ̶ 3500 HP, J&K, UK 19 Capillipedium assimile (Steud.) A. Camus Sept. ̶ Jan. 1400 HP, UK 20 Capillipedium huegelii (Hack.) A.Camus Capillipedium parviflorum (R.Br.) Stapf Chrysopogon nodulibarbis (Hochst. ex Steud.) Henrard Chrysopogon aciculatus Aug. ̶ Sept. Jul. ̶ Sept. 1350 UK 1700 Pakistan, Sri Lanka Bhutan, Myanmar, 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 Arthraxon microphyllus (Trin.) Hochst. Arthraxon prionodes (Steud.) Dandy Arthraxon santapaui Bor Arthraxon submuticus (Nees ex Steud.) Hochst. Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T. Blake Dec. ̶ Feb. 1000 ̶ 1200 HP, J&K, UK UK Aug. ̶ 1000 UK Africa, Bhutan, Europe, Nepal, Pakistan Nepal Afghanistan, Africa, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan Australia, Bhutan, Pakistan, South Africa Africa, Asia, Myanmar Australia, Bhutan 94 Tribe Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 23 Chrysopogon aciculatus (Retz.) Trin. Chrysopogon fulvus (Spreng.) Chiov. Aug. ̶ Sept. Feb. ̶ May., Jul. ̶ Sept. Jul. ̶ Oct. 1000 UK 1000 ̶ 2000 HP, J&K, UK 1500 ̶ 3500 Jun. ̶ Dec. 0 ̶ 1000 HP, J&K, UK HP, UK Jul. ̶ Nov. 1000 HP, J&K,UK Aug. ̶ Sept. Apr. ̶ Oct. 2600 UK 1500 HP Jun. ̶ Oct. 1500 ̶ 3000 HP, UK Arabia, Africa, South Asia China Sept. ̶ Oct. 100 ̶ 2200 UK Myanmar, Thailand Aug. ̶ Sept. 1800 HP, UK Myanmar Mar. ̶ May. Jul. ̶ Sept. 3000 HP, J&K, UK HP Africa, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka Pakistan Aug. ̶ Nov., Feb. ̶ May. Jul. ̶ Sept. 1400 ̶ 1500 HP, J&K, UK Bhutan 1200 UK China Nov. ̶ Apr. Nov. ̶ Apr. 1500 HP, UK Bhutan, China 480 ̶ 3200 UK Bangladesh Sept. ̶ Nov., Mar. ̶ Apr. Mar. ̶ Jun. 1400 HP, UK China, Pakistan 1500 HP - 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Chrysopogon gryllus (L.) Trin. Chrysopogon serrulatus Trin. Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty Cymbopogon caesius (Hook. & Arn.) Stapf Cymbopogon commutatus (Steud.) Stapf Cymbopogon distans (Nees ex Steud.) W. Watson Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W.Watson Cymbopogon gidarba (Buch.- Ham. ex Steud.) A. Camus Cymbopogon jwaranscusa (Jones) Schult. Cymbopogon jwarancusa subsp. olivieri (Boiss.) Soenarko Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) W.Watson Cymbopogon microstachys (Hook.f.) Soenarko Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle Cymbopogon osmastonii R. Parker Cymbopogon pospischilii (K. Schum.) C.E. Hubb. Cymbopogon 0 ̶ 3000 Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka East Africa Bhutan, Nepal Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan Africa, Bhutan, Myanmar, South East Asia, Sri Lanka Pakistan Shailja Tripathi et al. 95 S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 40 Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. Dichanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf Mar. ̶ Jun. 1500 HP - Feb. ̶ Dec. 1000 ̶ 1800 HP, J&K, UK Dichanthium foulkesii (Hook.f.) S.K. Jain & Deshp. Dichanthium foveolatum (Delile) Roberty Dimeria ornithopoda Trin. Sept. ̶ Oct. 2000 UK Africa, Australia, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Indonesia Africa, China Aug. ̶ Nov. Sept. ̶ Nov. 1800 HP, J&K 460 ̶ 600 UK Eulalia contorta (Brongn.) Kuntze Eulalia fimbriata (Hack.) Kuntze Eulalia hirtifolia (Hack.) A. Camus Eulalia leschenaultiana (Decne.) Ohwi Eulalia madkotiensis Kandwal, B.K. Gupta & S.K. Srivast. Eulalia mollis (Griseb.) Kuntze Eulalia quadrinervis (Hack.) Kuntze Sept. ̶ Oct. 1800 UK Oct. ̶ Feb. 300 ̶ 1200 HP Ethiopia, Iran, Sri Lanka, Tanzania Australia, Japan, Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal Australia, Bhutan, China, Malaysia Myanmar Aug. ̶ Oct. 1500 ̶ 3500 HP, UK - Dec. ̶ Feb. 1600 ̶ 2400 UK Aug. ̶ Sept. 1500 UK Bhutan, China, Philippines, Thailand - Aug. ̶ Oct. 1500 ̶ 3500 HP, UK Sept. ̶ Oct. 2600 HP,UK 52 Eulalia staintonii Bor 1500 ̶ 2600 UK 53 Eulalia trispicata (Schult.) Henrard Aug. ̶ Sept. Sept. ̶ Nov. 300 ̶ 1500 HP, UK 54 Eulaliopsis binata (Retz.) C.E. Hubb. May. ̶ Nov. 2200 HP, J&K, UK 55 Hackelochloa granularis (L.) Kuntze Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C.E. Hubb. Hemarthria compressa (L.f.) R.Br. Jul. ̶ Nov. 1500 Nov. ̶ Feb. 500 HP, J&K, UK UK Aug. ̶ Sept. 1500 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 56 57 HP, J&K, UK Bhutan, China, Nepal, Pakistan Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, China, Thailand Nepal Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand Africa, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka China Bhutan 96 Tribe Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 58 Heteropogon contortus (L.)P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. Heteropogon melanocarpus (Elliott) Benth. Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch. Ischaemum polystachyum J. Presl Ischaemum rugosum Salisb. Jun. ̶ Dec. 1800 ̶ 3000 HP, J&K, UK Bhutan Aug. ̶ Sept. 1000 ̶ 1500 UK China Jan. ̶ Dec. 1200 ̶ 2500 Myanmar, Sri Lanka Aug. ̶ Jan. 50 ̶ 700 HP, J&K, UK HP Aug. ̶ Oct. 1400 HP, J&K, UK Iseilema anthephoroides Hack. Iseilema laxum Hack. Aug. ̶ Dec. Aug. ̶ Dec. Aug. ̶ Nov. Sept. ̶ Oct. 400 ̶ 425 UK Africa, Bhutan, China, Malaya, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China - 1100 ̶ 2750 UK Sri Lanka 600 ̶ 1500 Bhutan, Myanmar 800 ̶ 1600 HP, J&K, UK UK Dec. ̶ Jan. 990 ̶ 2300 UK Sept. ̶ Nov. Sept. ̶ Nov. 1700 ̶ 2500 HP, UK 1400 UK Jun. ̶ Jul., Sept. ̶ Nov. Sept. ̶ Dec. Dec. 1800 ̶ 3600 HP, UK Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Thailand, Veitnam Bhutan, Nepal 1500 ̶ 2400 HP, UK Myanmar, Nepal 1200 ̶ 1500 HP, UK Apr. ̶ Jun. 2500 UK Bhutan, China, Japan, South East Asia - May ̶ Jun., Sept. ̶ Oct. Sept. ̶ Oct. 1500 ̶ 3000 HP, UK 500 HP, J&K, UK 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 Microstegium ciliatum (Trin.) A. Camus Microstegium delicatulum (Hook.f.) A.Camus Microstegium eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) A. Camus Microstegium falconeri (Hook.f.) Clayton Microstegium fasciculatum (L.) Henrard 70 Microstegium nudum (Trin.) A. Camus 71 Microstegium petiolare (Trin.) Bor Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus 72 73 74 75 Miscanthus fuscus (Roxb.) Benth. Miscanthus nepalensis (Trin.) Hack. Mnesithea laevis (Retz.) Kunth Bangladesh Myanmar, China, Thailand Myanmar, China, Thailand Bhutan Myanmar, Nepal Bhutan, Indo- China, Malay Islands, Myanmar, Sri-Lanka Shailja Tripathi et al. S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 76 Ophiuros exaltatus (L.) Kuntze Phacelurus speciosus (Steud.) C.E. Hubb. Pogonatherum crinitum (Thunb.) Kunth Jul. ̶ Feb. 600 ̶ 1000 UK China Jul. ̶ Sept. 1600 ̶ 3500 - Sept. ̶ Oct. 750 HP, J&K, UK HP, UK Pogonatherum paniceum (Lam.) Hack. Pogonatherum santapaui Sur Polytrias indica (Houtt.) Veldkamp Apr. ̶ Nov. 600 ̶ 800 May ̶ Oct., Dec. ̶ Mar. Aug. ̶ Nov. 770 ̶ 1400 HP, J&K, UK UK 2100 ̶ 2400 UK Pseudosorghum fasciculare (Roxb.) A. Camus Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton Rottboellia exaltata (L.) L.f. Saccharum arundinaceum Retz. Saccharum bengalense Retz. Saccharum filifolium Steud. Saccharum griffithii Munro ex Aitch. Saccharum longisetosum (Andersson) V.Naray. ex Bor Saccharum narenga (Nees ex Steud.) Hack. Saccharum officinarum L. Sept. ̶ Dec. 1500 ̶ 2300 UK Aug. ̶ Nov. 1500 UK Aug. ̶ Nov. Aug. ̶ Apr. 600 HP, J&K, UK UK Sept. ̶ Dec. Apr. ̶ Oct. 1700 1500 ̶ 2500 HP, J&K, UK HP, UK Jul. ̶ Oct. - UK Sept. ̶ May. 1500 ̶ 3000 HP, UK Aug. ̶ Nov. Jan. ̶ Feb. 800 UK Myanmar, Bhutan 1000 UK Africa 1800 ̶ 2700 HP, J&K, UK HP, J&K, UK HP, J&K, UK Pakistan 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 1000 Sept. ̶ Nov. Jun. ̶ Dec. 800 ̶ 2100 94 Saccharum ravennae (L.) L. Saccharum rufipilum Steud. Saccharum spontaneum L. Aug. ̶ Jan. 1000 ̶ 1500 95 Schizachyrium brevifolium Sept. ̶ 1500 93 UK 97 Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, Malaya Myanmar, SriLanka Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam Bhutan, Myanmar, South East Asia Africa, Australia, China, Malaya, Sri Lanka China, Pakistan Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka Afghanistan, Pakistan Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh Myanmar Africa, Australia, Myanmar, South Europe, Sri Lanka Africa, Bhutan, 98 Tribe Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya S. No. Name of taxa Flowers & Fruits Altitude (m) Distribution Western World Himalaya 95 Schizachyrium brevifolium (Sw.) Buse Schizachyrium impressum (Hack.) A. Camus Schizachyrium exile (Hochst.) Pilg. Sehima nervosum (Rottler) Stapf Sept. ̶ Dec. Aug. ̶ Sept. Sept. ̶ Dec. Jul. ̶ Oct. 1500 UK 1200 J&K, UK 200 ̶ 1500 UK >200 UK Sehima notatum (Hack.) A. Camus Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf Aug. ̶ Dec. Sept. ̶ Dec. 2300 HP, UK 400 ̶ 3000 J&K, UK 101 Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Sept. ̶ Nov. 1200 ̶ 1600 HP, UK 102 Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Sorghum miliaceum (Roxb.) Snowden Sorghum nitidum (Vahl) Pers. Mar. ̶ Dec. 1700 ̶ 1900 Aug. ̶ Nov. Aug. ̶ Dec. 750 HP, J&K, UK HP, UK 500 HP, UK Spodiopogon cotulifer (Thunb.) Hack. Spodiopogon dubius Hack. Sept. ̶ Nov. Jul. ̶ Aug. 1600 ̶ 2000 HP, J&K, UK HP, UK Themeda anathera (Nees ex Steud.) Hack. Themeda arundinacea (Roxb.) A. Camus Themeda caudata (nees ex Hook. & Arn.) A.Camus Themeda gigantea (Cav.) Hack. ex Duthie Themeda strigosa (Ham. ex Hook.f.) A. Camus Themeda quadrivalvis (L.) kuntze Themeda triandra Forssk. Jul. ̶ Dec. 1500 ̶ 3500 Sept. ̶ Nov. Sept. ̶ May Sept. ̶ Apr. Nov. ̶ Jan. 750 HP, J&K, UK HP, UK 2000 UK 700 ̶ 2000 UK 2300 UK Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Thailand Bangladesh Aug. ̶ Nov. May ̶ Oct. 2300 UK Bhutan 1500 ̶ 3500 Themeda villosa (Lam.) A. Camus Aug. ̶ Nov. HP, J&K, UK HP, UK Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka Bhutan 96 97 98 99 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 2500 ̶ 3000 1400 Africa, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka Pakistan Ethiopia, South Africa Australia, Myanmar, China, Pakistan, Sri lanka, Thailand Australia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa Australia, Bhutan, China, South America, Taiwan Bangladesh, Sri Lanka Pakistan Australia, Bhutan, Indo- China, Thailand China, Japan China, Nepal China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka Bhutan, Myanmar, South East Asia Bhutan, Myanmar Shailja Tripathi et al. 99 HP, 7 HP, JK, UK, 30 UK, 44 UK, HP, 29 JK, UK, 2 HP, UK, 2 Figure 1. Distribution of taxa of Andropogoneae in different states of Western Himalaya Figure 2. Altitudinal distribution of the tribe Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya The distribution of the tribe in relation to altitude is depicted in Figure 2. Altitudinal gradient marks significant influence on diversity and distribution pattern of these grasses. Maximum diversity is found between an elevational range of 1500 – 2000 m. Many taxa like Bothriochloa pertusa, Chrysopogon gryllus, Cymbopogon osmastonii, Eulalia mollis, Eulalia hirtifolia, Microstegium nudum, Themeda anathera, Themeda triandra, etc show a wide range of altitudinal distribution. On the other hand, few taxa like Arthraxon hispidus, Arthraxon lanceolatus, etc. are found in specific range which narrow down their altitudinal distribution. Very few taxa are found at an elevation of above 3500m. There have been reports suggesting that species richness is affected by increasing altitude as there has been reduction in diversity with increased elevation. This reduction could be attributed to eco-physiological constraints such as low temperature and other geographical barriers (Agnihotri et al. 2015). 100 Tribe Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya Table 2. Relative abundance of Andropogonoids Region Genera Species References World 85 1000 Clayton et al., 1986 India 63 350 Karthikeyan et al., 1989 Western Himalaya 33 113 Present study Species endemic to Western Himalaya at country levelBothriochloa ischaemum, Cymbopogon caesius, C. commutatus, C. pospischilii, C. schoenanthus, Dicanthium foulkesii, Eulalia contorta, E. hirtifolia, E. leschenaultiana, E. mollis, E. staintonii, Hemarthria altissima, Heteropogon melanocarpus, Microstegium delicatulum, M. eucnemis, M. falconeri, Schizachyrium impressum, Spodiopogon dubius, Themeda anathera, T. gigantea. Species endemic to Western Himalaya at global level - Eulalia hirtifolia, Miscanthus fuscus, Phacelurus speciosus, Saccharum bengalense, S. filifolium. Figure 3. Distribution of endemic taxa of Andropogoneae in Western Himalaya Out of the total taxa of Andropogonoid grasses, 46% is found to be strictly endemic to India especially to the Peninsular region (Mehrotra & Jain 1980). Present study reveals that of all the taxa found in Western Himalaya, 7 taxa (6.14%) are found to be endemic at global level (Figure 3) and 26 taxa (22.80%) at Indian level. Interestingly, 19 taxa are such which are only found in western Himalaya and nowhere else in the country but are reported from other regions of the world as in China, Nepal, Pakistan, etc signifying their occurrence in the Himalayan region. Moreover, ten monotypic genera are found to occur in the region of Western Himalaya. Seven taxa of the tribe including Dimeria ornithopoda, Eulalia contorta, Hemarthria altissima, Hemarthria compressa, Imperata cylindrica, Pogonatherum paniceum and Schizachyrium brevifolium are included in IUCN red list of threatened plants which urges an immediate conservation implication. Acknowledgements Authors are thankful to the Director, CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow for his constant support and encouragement. Shailja Tripathi et al. 101 LITERATURE CITED Agnihotri, P.; Husain, D. & Husain T. 2015. 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