A NEW SPECIES OF DIMERIA (POACEAE: PANICOIDEAE), FROM MIDDLE ANDAMAN, INDIA

Dimeria fasciculata (Poaceace) collected from Panchvati, Middle Andaman of the Andaman group of Islands in India is described and illustrated as a new species. Some of its morphological characters resemble with other members of the genus Dimeria avenacea, Dimeria fuscescens, Dimeria kurzii and Dimeria ornithopoda but this species differs from all in having culms branched on almost all nodes; branches 3?9, unequal in length, terminating usually in solitary, rarely 2-digitate racemes; spikelets embedded within the rachis; and awn of lemma short, stiff, aligned along with raceme. Morphological features place this species under Section Dimeria of Genus Dimeria.