New Poaceae species discovered on Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

XINING -- Chinese researchers have discovered a new species of Poaceae in Northwest China's Qinghai province on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and named it Elymus multiramosus.

The findings have been published in a recent edition of the international scientific journal PhytoKeys.

The plant, Elymus multiramosus, has been found in the arid rocky mountainous areas at an altitude of 3,722 meters in the northern part of the city of Delingha, Qinghai.

The climate in the area is extreme, with an average annual temperature of below zero degrees Celsius and very little precipitation. This harsh environment has likely played a crucial role in the formation and adaptive evolution of the plant, said Zhang Yongchao, one of the researchers from Qinghai University.

Elymus multiramosus is distinguished by its compound spike inflorescence, which is a key feature that distinguishes it from other Elymus species with simpler inflorescences, according to Zhang.

He noted that the lateral branches of the Elymus multiramosus originate at the base of the main axis, extending into three to six mini-spike-like branches arranged distichously. Notably, the length of these branches increases progressively from the top toward the bottom of the spike, demonstrating a complex structural adaptation. The compound structure provides a new perspective on the evolution of inflorescence of the Poaceae plants.

Zhang said that the Elymus plants are of great value in the field of alpine grassland forage, and the characteristics of the Elymus multiramosus may offer new directions in forage improvement and resource development.

"The discovery of the new species not only has important implications for the study of inflorescence evolution of the Poaceae plants, but also further enriches the plant diversity on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau," he added.