Skip to main content
Log in

Abstract

Plants following C3 and C4 pathways of photosynthesis respond differently to environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation. The C3 and C4 plants therefore, comprise specific groups which can help predict species response to climatic changes. Grasses alone account for nearly half of the known C4 species and half of the grass species are estimated to follow C4 photosynthesis. Indian grass flora has about 250 genera and 1,250 odd species, 55 % of which are of C4 type. The C4 tribe Andropogoneae, exclusively of NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) sub-type, alone represents 50 % of the Indian C4 grasses. NADP-ME grasses exhibit high moisture affinity and constitute more than three-fourth of the Indian C4 grasses. The greater representation of NADP-ME species in the Indian grass flora could be attributed to the onset of Indian monsoons during the late Miocene, when the main adaptive radiation in grasses took place, the world over.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sage RF (2001) C4 plants: the encyclopaedia of biodiversity, vol I. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  2. Watson L, Dallwitz M (1992) The grass genera of the world. CAB International, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  3. Still CJ, Field CB (1999) A manual for the C4 fan club. Am J Bot 86:1502–1504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Redmann RE, Yin L, Wang P (1995) Photosynthetic pathway types in grassland plant species from Northeast China. Photosynthetica 31:251–255

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Li M (1993) Distribution of C3 and C4 species of Cyperus in Europe. Photosynthetica 28:119–126

    Google Scholar 

  6. Andres IM (1993) A revised list of the European C4 plants. Photosynthetica 26:323–331

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lin CH, Tai YS, Liu DL, Ku MSB (1993) Photosynthetic mechanisms of weeds in Taiwan. Aust J Plant Physiol 20:757–769

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ueno O, Takeda T (1992) Photosynthetic pathways, ecological characteristics, and the geographical distribution of the Cyperaceae in Japan. Oecologia 89:195–203

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cavagnaro JB (1988) Distribution of C3 and C4 grasses at different altitude in a temperate arid region of Argentina. Oecologia 76:273–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hattersley PW (1983) The distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in Australia in relation to climate. Oecologia 57:113–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Teeri JA, Stowe LG, Livingstone DA (1980) The distribution of C4 species of Cyperaceae in North America in relation to climate. Oecologia 47:307–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Teeri JA, Stowe LG (1976) Climatic patterns and the distribution of C4 grasses in North America. Oecologia 23:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ehleringer JR (1978) Implication of quantum yield differences on the distributions of C3 and C4 grasses. Oecologia 31:255–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Baker NR, Long SP (1986) Photosynthesis in contrasting environments. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  15. Medina E (1986) Forests, savannas and montane tropical environments. In: Baker NR, Long SP (eds) Photosynthesis in contrasting environments. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 139–172

    Google Scholar 

  16. Smith SD, Nobel PS (1986) Deserts. In: Baker NR, Long SP (eds) Photosynthesis in contrasting environments. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 13–62

    Google Scholar 

  17. Takeda T, Tanikawa T, Agata W, Hakoyama S (1985) Studies on the ecology and distribution of C3 and C4 grasses. I. Taxonomic and geographical distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in Japan with special reference to climatic conditions. Jpn J Crop Sci 54:54–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hattersley PW, Watson L (1992) Diversification of photosynthesis. In: Chapman GP (ed) Grass evolution and domestication. University Press, Cambridge, pp 38–116

    Google Scholar 

  19. Brown WV (1977) The Kranze syndrome and its subtype in grass systematics. Mem Torrey Bot Club 23:1–97

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tieszen LL, Seniyamba MM, Imbamba SK, Troughton JH (1979) The distribution of C3 and C4 grasses and carbon isotope discrimination along an altitudinal gradient in Kenya. Oecologia 37:337–350

    Google Scholar 

  21. Vogel JC, Fuls A, Ellis RP (1978) The geographical distribution of Kranze grasses in South Africa. S Afr J Sci 74:209–215

    Google Scholar 

  22. Henderson S, Hattersley P, von Cammerer S, Osmond CB (1995) Are C4 pathway plants threatened by global climatic change? In: Schulze ED, Caldwell MM (eds) Ecophysiology of photosynthesis. Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp 529–546

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  23. Harris JA, Hobbs RJ, Higgs E, Aronson J (2006) Ecological restoration and global climate change. Restor Ecol 14:170–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Melillo JM, Houghton RA, Kicklighter DW, McGuire AD (1996) Tropical deforestation and the global carbon budget. Ann Rev Energy Environ 21:293–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Karthikeyan S, Jain SK, Nayar MP, Sanjappa M (1989) Florae Indicae enumeratio: monocotyledonae. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, p 435

    Google Scholar 

  26. Bennet SSR (1987) Name changes in flowering plants of India and adjacent regions. Triseas Publishers, Dehra Dun

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ellis RP (1984) Eragrostis walteri: a first record of non-Kranz leaf anatomy in the sub-family Chloridoideae (Poaceae). S Afr J Bot 3:380–386

    Google Scholar 

  28. Prendergast HDV, Hattersley PW, Stone NE (1987) New structural/biochemical associations in leaf blades of C4 grasses (Poaceae). Aust J Plant Physiol 35:403–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Dengler NG, Dengler RE, Donnelly PM, Hattersley PW (1994) Quantitative leaf anatomy of C3 and C4 grasses (Poaceae): bundle sheath and mesophyll surface relationships. Ann Bot 73:241–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Giusanni LM, Cota-Sánchez JH, Zuoaga FO, Kellogg EA (2001) A molecular phylogeny of the grass subfamily Panicoideae (Poaceae) shows multiple origins of C4 photosynthesis. Am J Bot 88:1993–2012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Oshugi R, Murata T (1986) Variation in the leaf anatomy among some C4 Panicum species. Ann Bot 58:443–453

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Bowman WD (1991) Effect of nitrogen nutrition on photosynthesis and growth in C4 Panicum species. Plant Cell Environ 14:295–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Prendergast HDV, Hattersley PW (1987) Australian C4 grasses (Poaceae): leaf blade anatomical features in relation to C4 acid decarboxylation types. Aust J Bot 35:355–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Cragg JB (1986) Grassland ecosystems of the World. In: Coupland RT (ed) International biological programme. University Press, Cambridge, pp 21–25

    Google Scholar 

  35. Grabherr G, Gottfried M, Pauli H (1994) Climate effects on mountain plants. Nature 369:448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Ellis RP, Vogel JC, Fuls A (1980) Photosynthetic pathways and the geographic distribution of grasses in South West Africa/ Namibia. S Afr J Sci 76:307–314

    Google Scholar 

  37. Hattersley PW (1992) C4 photosynthetic pathway variation in grasses (Poaceae): its significance for arid and semi-arid lands. In: Chapman GP (ed) Desertified grasslands: their biology and management. Academic Press, London, pp 181–212

    Google Scholar 

  38. Johnston WJ (1996) The place of C4 grasses in temperate pastures in Australia. N Z J Agric Res 39:527–540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Rama Das VS, Vats SK (1993) A Himalayan monsoonal location exhibiting unusually high preponderrance of C4 grasses. Photosynthetica 28:91–97

    Google Scholar 

  40. Cerling TE, Wang Y, Quade J (1993) Expansion of C4 ecosystems as an indication of global ecological change in the late Miocene. Nature 361:344–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Quade J, Cerling TE, Bowman JR (1989) Development of Asian monsoon revealed by marked ecological shift during the latest Miocene in northern Pakistan. Nature 342:163–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Prell WL, Kutzbach JE (1992) Sensitivity of the Indian monsoon to forcing parameters and implications for its evolution. Nature 360:647–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Burbank DW, Derry LA, France-Lanord C (1993) Reduced Himalayan sediment production 8 M yr ago despite an intensified monsoon. Nature 364:48–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Morgan ME, Kingston JD, Marino BD (1994) Carbon isotopic evidence for the emergence of C4 plants in the Neogene from Pakistan and Kenya. Nature 367:162–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author is thankful to Director of the institute, Dr. P. S. Ahuja for encouraging this study. The author is extremely thankful to Prof V. S. Rama Das, former Director IHBT, and Prof J. S. Singh, Prof Emeritus, Banaras Hindu University for valuable suggestions. Funding from Ministry of Environment and Forest, GOI, under the Integrated Eco-development Research Programme (GBPIHED) is gratefully acknowledged. The MS represents IHBT communication number 0662.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. K. Vats.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vats, S.K. Photosynthetic Diversity in Indian Grass Flora. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 82, 525–529 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-012-0033-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-012-0033-1

Keywords

Navigation