Kiran Raj | University of Kerala (original) (raw)

Papers by Kiran Raj

A new subspecies, viz. Dimeria hohenackeri Hochst. ex Miq. subsp. kodaguensis Kiran Raj, Sivad. &... more A new subspecies, viz. Dimeria hohenackeri Hochst. ex Miq. subsp. kodaguensis Kiran Raj, Sivad. & Dileep from South Karnataka of the Southern Western Ghats in Peninsular India is described and illustrated. It mainly differs from D. hohenackeri Hochst. ex Miq. subsp. hohenackeri in having mat-forming habit with leaves crowded at culm-base, spikelets 3–4 mm long and glumes not widely divergent during anthesis.

Kerala State is blessed with wide diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resources. The pec... more Kerala State is blessed with wide diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resources. The peculiar topographic and bioclimatic features of the Southern Western Ghats favoured the high percentage of endemism and species diversity in the state. The grass flora of Kerala is very rich and diverse. Poaceae is the largest angiosperm family of the state with about 350 species belonging to 108 genera. The grassland vegetation forms an important constituent of Kerala ecosystem, which is highly significant in terms of species diver sity. During the course of study, it was found that Kerala has about 120 Western Ghats endemic grasses, of which 56 species are exclusively confined to Kerala. Out of the 56 species, 38 are confined to the low level grasslands (alt. less than 1000 m above MSL) and this vegetation contributes much to the species diversity and endemism compared to the high level grasslands (alt. more than 1000 m above MSL) in the State. The andropogonids form the largest group and have highest number of endemic taxa in Kerala. The genera Dimeria R.Br. and Ischaemum L., have shown very high degree of endemism in the State with 15 and 18 species respectively. Two genera viz., Silentvalleya V.J. Nair et al. and Chandrasekharania V. J. Nair et al. are exclusively endemic to Kerala. Both of them are monotypic.

Dimeria raviana, a new species of Poaceae from the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India is des... more Dimeria raviana, a new species of Poaceae from the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India is described and illustrated. It closely resembles D. fuscescens, but strikingly differs in having a flattened and winged raceme rachis of 1.0-1.25 mm in width with smooth margins.

The four sections of the little known genus Dimeria R. Br. of the rather anomalous paleotropical ... more The four sections of the little known genus Dimeria R. Br. of the rather anomalous paleotropical subtribe Dimeriinae Hack. (Poaceae-Panicoideae-Andropogoneae) are revised. A key is provided. Three Peninsular Indian species, viz. Dimeria sivarajanii, D. idukkiensis and D. borii are treated here as subspecies of D. bialata, D. kurumthotticalana and D. mooneyi respectively; and five, viz. D. chelariensis, D. copei, D. eradii, D. jayachandranii and D. kollimalayana are reduced to synonymy.

Th e new genus Nanooravia Kiran Raj & Sivad. (Poaceae -Andropogoneae -Dimeriinae) from the southw... more Th e new genus Nanooravia Kiran Raj & Sivad. (Poaceae -Andropogoneae -Dimeriinae) from the southwestern Ghats in India is described and illustrated, and the new combination N. santapaui (M. R. Almeida) Kiran Raj & Sivad. is made. Th e genus is characterized by its usually unequal and intertwined racemes, triquetrous rachis, extremely oblique and glabrous pedicel tip, distantly arranged spikelets, long trigonous callus with oblique tip and densely covered with golden -yellow or yellowish -brown hairs along one angle, keel-less glumes with a dorsally echinate apex and apically auricled margins, and an upper lemma with a stout awn having a long column. Th e new genus is distinct from Dimeria R. Br. in which the species was originally described, but is similar to the monotypic Indian genus Pogonachne Bor currently placed in the subtribe Ischaeminae. It occurs in Peninsular India, a region considered as the centre of diversity of the subtribe with more than 50% of the known Dimeria species, including numerous endemics.

Novon, 2008

Dimeria veldkampii Kiran Raj & Sivadasan, from north Goa of the northern Western Ghats, is illust... more Dimeria veldkampii Kiran Raj & Sivadasan, from north Goa of the northern Western Ghats, is illustrated and described as a new species of Poaceae belonging to the subtribe Dimeriinae of the tribe Andropogoneae. The species resembles D. woodrowii Stapf, but differs mainly by its inflorescence rachises being singly or doubly circinately recurved and by the immediate shedding of the spikelets as diaspores. Comparative morphological features of the new species and D. woodrowii are described, and a dichotomous key to the constituent species of Dimeria sect. Annulares Bor is provided.

Bot. Bull. Acad. Sinica, 2001

Three new species of Ischaemum L. (Poaceae), I. wayanadense, I. abrahamii and I. fischeri from In... more Three new species of Ischaemum L. (Poaceae), I. wayanadense, I. abrahamii and I. fischeri from India are described and illustrated.

Drafts by Kiran Raj

A new subspecies, viz. Dimeria hohenackeri Hochst. ex Miq. subsp. kodaguensis Kiran Raj, Sivad. &... more A new subspecies, viz. Dimeria hohenackeri Hochst. ex Miq. subsp. kodaguensis Kiran Raj, Sivad. & Dileep from South Karnataka of the Southern Western Ghats in Peninsular India is described and illustrated. It mainly differs from D. hohenackeri Hochst. ex Miq. subsp. hohenackeri in having mat-forming habit with leaves crowded at culm-base, spikelets 3–4 mm long and glumes not widely divergent during anthesis.

Kerala State is blessed with wide diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resources. The pec... more Kerala State is blessed with wide diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resources. The peculiar topographic and bioclimatic features of the Southern Western Ghats favoured the high percentage of endemism and species diversity in the state. The grass flora of Kerala is very rich and diverse. Poaceae is the largest angiosperm family of the state with about 350 species belonging to 108 genera. The grassland vegetation forms an important constituent of Kerala ecosystem, which is highly significant in terms of species diver sity. During the course of study, it was found that Kerala has about 120 Western Ghats endemic grasses, of which 56 species are exclusively confined to Kerala. Out of the 56 species, 38 are confined to the low level grasslands (alt. less than 1000 m above MSL) and this vegetation contributes much to the species diversity and endemism compared to the high level grasslands (alt. more than 1000 m above MSL) in the State. The andropogonids form the largest group and have highest number of endemic taxa in Kerala. The genera Dimeria R.Br. and Ischaemum L., have shown very high degree of endemism in the State with 15 and 18 species respectively. Two genera viz., Silentvalleya V.J. Nair et al. and Chandrasekharania V. J. Nair et al. are exclusively endemic to Kerala. Both of them are monotypic.

Dimeria raviana, a new species of Poaceae from the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India is des... more Dimeria raviana, a new species of Poaceae from the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India is described and illustrated. It closely resembles D. fuscescens, but strikingly differs in having a flattened and winged raceme rachis of 1.0-1.25 mm in width with smooth margins.

The four sections of the little known genus Dimeria R. Br. of the rather anomalous paleotropical ... more The four sections of the little known genus Dimeria R. Br. of the rather anomalous paleotropical subtribe Dimeriinae Hack. (Poaceae-Panicoideae-Andropogoneae) are revised. A key is provided. Three Peninsular Indian species, viz. Dimeria sivarajanii, D. idukkiensis and D. borii are treated here as subspecies of D. bialata, D. kurumthotticalana and D. mooneyi respectively; and five, viz. D. chelariensis, D. copei, D. eradii, D. jayachandranii and D. kollimalayana are reduced to synonymy.

Th e new genus Nanooravia Kiran Raj & Sivad. (Poaceae -Andropogoneae -Dimeriinae) from the southw... more Th e new genus Nanooravia Kiran Raj & Sivad. (Poaceae -Andropogoneae -Dimeriinae) from the southwestern Ghats in India is described and illustrated, and the new combination N. santapaui (M. R. Almeida) Kiran Raj & Sivad. is made. Th e genus is characterized by its usually unequal and intertwined racemes, triquetrous rachis, extremely oblique and glabrous pedicel tip, distantly arranged spikelets, long trigonous callus with oblique tip and densely covered with golden -yellow or yellowish -brown hairs along one angle, keel-less glumes with a dorsally echinate apex and apically auricled margins, and an upper lemma with a stout awn having a long column. Th e new genus is distinct from Dimeria R. Br. in which the species was originally described, but is similar to the monotypic Indian genus Pogonachne Bor currently placed in the subtribe Ischaeminae. It occurs in Peninsular India, a region considered as the centre of diversity of the subtribe with more than 50% of the known Dimeria species, including numerous endemics.

Novon, 2008

Dimeria veldkampii Kiran Raj & Sivadasan, from north Goa of the northern Western Ghats, is illust... more Dimeria veldkampii Kiran Raj & Sivadasan, from north Goa of the northern Western Ghats, is illustrated and described as a new species of Poaceae belonging to the subtribe Dimeriinae of the tribe Andropogoneae. The species resembles D. woodrowii Stapf, but differs mainly by its inflorescence rachises being singly or doubly circinately recurved and by the immediate shedding of the spikelets as diaspores. Comparative morphological features of the new species and D. woodrowii are described, and a dichotomous key to the constituent species of Dimeria sect. Annulares Bor is provided.

Bot. Bull. Acad. Sinica, 2001

Three new species of Ischaemum L. (Poaceae), I. wayanadense, I. abrahamii and I. fischeri from In... more Three new species of Ischaemum L. (Poaceae), I. wayanadense, I. abrahamii and I. fischeri from India are described and illustrated.