Systematics of Disakisperma (Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Chlorideae)

Disakisperma Steud. is a genus of four predominantly perennial C4 (NAD-ME) species in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Its species previously were treated in Eleusine, Eragrostis, Coelachyrum, Cypholepis, Leptochloa, or Diplachne by nearly all authors. It includes the widespread North and South Ameri...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Neil Snow, Paul M. Peterson, Konstantin Romaschenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2013-09-01
Series:PhytoKeys
Online Access:http://phytokeys.pensoft.net/lib/ajax_srv/article_elements_srv.php?action=download_pdf&item_id=1484
Description
Summary:Disakisperma Steud. is a genus of four predominantly perennial C4 (NAD-ME) species in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Its species previously were treated in Eleusine, Eragrostis, Coelachyrum, Cypholepis, Leptochloa, or Diplachne by nearly all authors. It includes the widespread North and South American amphitropical disjunct Disakisperma dubium (type of the genus), D. eleusine from southern Africa, D. obtusiflorum from central and northern Africa to southern Asia, and D. yemenicum, comb. nov. from eastern and southern Africa to Yemen. This paper provides a key to the species, geographic distributions, descriptions, including comments on the anatomy of leaves, stems, lemmatal micromorphology, a phylogram based on five molecular markers, and discussions of chromosome numbers. The species are rarely, if at all, known outside of their native ranges and are unlikely to become aggressively invasive. All species are considered Least Concern following IUCN guidelines. Lectotypes are designated for Diplachne dubia var. pringleana Kuntze, Disakisperma mexicana Steud., Eragrostis yemenica Schweinf., and Leptochloa appletonii Stapf.
ISSN:1314-2011
1314-2003