DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2qc10
title: Data from: Taxonomic assessment of opal phytoliths from grasses of deltaic West Bengal, India

description: In the present study, taxonomic potential of opal phytoliths was examined
 in grasses from lower Gangetic delta, West Bengal, India. The study
 revealed that finer classification of phytoliths can increase the efficacy
 of opal silica as taxonomic proxy by minimizing the influences of
 multiplicity and redundancy. 187 phytolith sub-morphotypes, categorized
 under 10 major groups were isolated from 110 grass species belonging to 45
 genera, 21 sub-tribes, 13 tribes, and 7 subfamilies. Cluster and
 correspondence analyses showed that all the significantly represented
 subfamilies can be clearly distinguished on the basis of either principal
 morphotypes or sub-morphotypes. However, genus/species level
 discrimination may only be possible by deploying phytolith based
 identification key developed by utilizing detailed grass phytolith
 micro-morphometry and frequency attributes. We conclude that grass
 phytolith characteristics provide useful and significant information for
 distinguishing grass taxa of deltaic West Bengal.
description: Percentage frequency of
 principal phytolith morphotypesPercentage frequency of
 principal phytolith morphotypesSupplementary Table
 1List
 of studied grass taxa along with their taxonomic position (After Soreng et
 al. 2015), collection areas, habitats, and principal phytolith
 assemblages.Table
 2Morphotypes and
 sub-morphotypes of studied phytoliths with hand drawn illustrations.
 (Modified after Twiss et al. 1969, Sase and Kondo 1974, Brown 1984, Kondo
 and Sase 1986, Piperno 1988, Mulholland 1989, Pearsall 1989, Pearsall and
 Piperno 1990, Mulholland and Rapp 1992, Twiss 1992, Fredlund and Tieszen
 1994, Kondo et al. 1994, Piperno and Pearsall 1998, Pearsall 2000, Lu and
 Liu 2003a, Lu and Liu 2003b, Stromberg 2003, Gallego and Distel 2004,
 Blinnikov 2005, Madella et al. 2005, Honaine et al. 2006, Piperno 2006,
 Fahmy 2008, Barboni and Bremond 2009, Mercader et al. 2010, Ghosh et al.
 2011, Gu et al. 2013, Biswas et al. 2016, Naskar and Bera 2016, Neumann et
 al. 2017)Fig 2Selected bilobate
 sub-morphotypes retrieved from the studied grasses. Light microscopic
 images (1-33) and scanning electron microscopic images (64-61). (Small
 bilobate with short shank and convex-convex ends – 1. Panicum paludosum),
 (Small bilobate with medium shank and convex-convex ends – 2. Brachiaria
 milliformis, 34. Leersia hexandra), (Small bilobate with long shank and
 convex-convex ends – 3. Digitaria setigera, 35. Chrysopogon aciculatus),
 (Small bilobate with nodular shank and convex-convex ends – 4. Oplismenus
 burmanni, 36. Setaria verticillata), (Small bilobate with short shank and
 concave-concave ends 5. Arundo donax, 37. Digitaria compacta), (Small
 bilobate with medium shank and concave-concave ends – 38. Oryza sativa),
 (Small bilobate with long shank and concave-concave ends – 6. Paspalidium
 geminatum, 39. Digitaria ciliaris), (Small bilobate with nodular shank and
 concave-concave ends – 7. Setaria barbata, 40. Themeda arundinacea),
 (Small bilobate with short shank straight-straight ends – 41. Setaria
 glauca), (Small bilobate with short shank and concave-convex ends – 8,
 (Small bilobate with medium shank and concave-convex ends – 9. Panicum
 repens), (Small bilobate with spiny shank and concave-convex ends – 10.
 Setaria verticillata), (Small bilobate with medium shank and
 convex-straight ends – 11. Setaria palmifolia), (Small bilobate with long
 shank and convex-straight ends – 12, Digitaria bicornis, 43. Chrysopogon
 aciculatus, ), (Small bilobate with short shank and concave-straight ends
 – 42. Eriochloa procera), (Small bilobate with long shank and
 concave-straight ends – 13. Digitaria compacta), (Medium bilobate with
 short shank and convex-convex ends – 14. Panicum flavidium ), (Medium
 bilobate with medium shank and convex-convex ends – 15. Leptochloa
 chinensis, (Medium bilobate with long shank and convex-convex ends 16.
 Imperata cylindrica var. major, 44. Setaria palmifolia), (Medium bilobate
 with spiny shank and convex-convex ends – 17. Paspalum longifolium),
 (Medium bilobate with short shank and concave-concave ends – 46.
 Paspalidium punctatum), (Medium bilobate with medium shank and
 concave-concave ends – 18.Oryza sativa, 48. Thysanolaena maxima), (Medium
 bilobate with nodular shank and convex-convex ends – 47. Echinochloa
 stagnina), (Medium bilobate with short shank and concave-convex ends – 20.
 Setaria pallide-fusca), (Medium bilobate with medium shank and
 concave-convex ends – 45. Digitaria violascens), (Medium bilobate with
 long shank and concave-convex ends 21. Digitaria ciliaris), (Medium
 bilobate with nodular shank and concave-convex ends – 22. Oplismenus
 burmanni), (Medium bilobate with medium shank and straight-straight ends –
 49. Heteropogon contortus), (Medium bilobate with short shank and
 convex-straight ends – 50. Saccharum officinarum), (Medium bilobate with
 medium shank and scooped ends 51. Oryza sativa), (Large bilobate with
 short shank and convex-convex ends – 23. Panicum flavidium), (Large
 bilobate with medium shank convex-convex ends – 52. Hymenachne
 amplexicaulis), (Large bilobate with long shank convex-convex ends – 25.
 Aristida adscensionis, 53. Heteropogon contortus), (Large bilobate with
 spiny shank and convex-convex ends – 24. Digitaria timorensis), (Large
 bilobate with medium shank and concave-concave ends – 26. Tritichum
 aestivum), (Large bilobate with medium shank and convex-concave ends – 54.
 Hymenachne amplexicaulis), (Large bilobate with long shank and
 convex-concave ends – 27. Saccharum spontaneum), (Large bilobate with
 nodular shank and concave-concave ends – 55. Brachiaria subquadripara),
 Large bilobate with long shank and convex-straight ends – 28. Heteropogon
 sp.), (Large bilobate with medium shank and concave-straight ends – 29.
 Setaria glauca), (Large bilobate with long shank and concave-straight ends
 – 56. Leptochloa filiformis), (Large bilobate with short shank and scooped
 ends– 57. Oryza rufipogon), (Very large bilobate with short shank and
 convex-convex ends – 30. Setaria palmifolia, (Very large bilobate with
 medium shank and convex-convex ends – 58. Echinochloa crus-galli), Very
 large bilobate with long shank and convex-convex ends – 31. Heteropogon
 sp., 59. Digitaria abludens), (Very large bilobate with short shank and
 concave-concave ends – 32. Echinochloa frumentacea), (Very large bilobate
 with medium shank and concave-concave ends – 61. Brachiaria milliformis),
 (Very large bilobate with nodular shank and concave-concave ends – 60.
 Echinochloa frumentacea), (Very large bilobate with medium shank and
 convex-concave ends – 33. Eriochloa procera)Fig 3Selected polylobate
 sub-morphotypes retrieved from the studied grasses. Light microscopic
 images (1-13) and scanning electron microscopic images (14-22).
 (Tri-regular-small - 1. a. Oplismenus compositus, 1.b. Paspalum
 conjugatum, 1.c. Echinochloa picia, 14.a Brachiaria reptans, 14.b
 Echinochloa crus-pavonis), (Tri-irregular-small - 2.a Setaria
 pallide-fusca, 2.a Zea mays), (Tetra-regular-small - 3.a Oplismenus
 burmanni, 3.b Setaria verticillata), (Tetra-irregular-small - 4. Paspalum
 scrobiculatum, 15.a Setaria pallide-fusca, 15.b Oplismenus compositus),
 (Penta-irregular-small - 5.a Oplismenus burmanni, 5.b Apluda mutica),
 (Hexa-irregular-small – 6, 16.a Themeda arundinacea, 16.b – 16.c Apluda
 mutica), (Hepta-irregular small - 7.a and 7.c Apluda mutica, 7.b - 7.d
 Themeda arundinacea), (Octa-irregular small 8.a - 8.b, 17. Themeda
 arundinacea, (Tri-regular-medium - 9.Porteresia coarctata, 18.a
 Echinochloa stagnina, 18.b Digitaria setigera), (Tri-irregular-medium -
 19.Setaria viridis), (Tetra-regular-medium - 20. Panicum flavidium),
 (Tetra-irregular-medium - 10. Paspalum distichum), (Penta-irregular-medium
 11. Dichanthium annulatum, 22. Dichanthium caricosum),
 (Hexa-regular-medium - 12. Oplismenus burmanni), (Tri-regular-large - 13.
 Digitaria abscendens, 21. Echinochloa frumentacea).Fig 4Selected saddle
 sub-morphotypes retrieved from the studied grasses. Light microscopic
 images (1-9) and scanning electron microscopic images (10-18). (Short thin
 saddle - 1.a Eragrostis coarctata, 1.b Chloris barbata, 1.c Myriostachya
 wightiana, 1.d Aeluropus lagopoides, 10.a Sporobolus spicatus, 10.b
 Chloris montana), (Short broad saddle - 2.a Eragrostis atrovirens, 2.b
 Eragrostis gangetica, 2.c Eleusine indica, 2.d Desmostachya bipinata, 11.a
 Dactyloctenium aegyptium, 11.b Cynodon dactylon), (Plateau thin saddle -
 3.a Thyrsostachys siamensis, 3.b Chloris montana, 12. Sporobolus
 tremulus), (Plateau broad saddle - 4.a Bambusa wamin, 4.b Sporobolus
 diander, 13. Phragmites karka), (Long saddle gr.I – 5.a Bambusa vulgaris
 var. vittata, 5.b Thyrsostachys siamensis, 14. Bambusa ventricosa), (Long
 saddle gr. II – 6.a Bambusa tulda, 6.b Dendrocalamus giganteus, 15.
 Dinochloa maclellandii), (Long saddle gr. III – 7.a Bambusa oliveriana,
 7.b Bambusa ventricosa, 16. Dendrocalamus giganteus), (Collapsed thin
 saddle - 8.a Bambusa ventricosa, 8.b Thyrsostachys siamensis, 8.c Bambusa
 vulgaris var. vittata, 17.a Bambusa tulda, 17.b Bambusa oliveriana),
 (Collapsed thin saddle 9.a Bambusa oliveriana, 9.b Bambusa wamin, 9.c
 Dendrocalamus giganteus, 18. Bambusa oliveriana)Fig 5Selected rondel/tower
 sub-morphotypes retrieved from the studied grasses. Light microscopic
 images (1-11) and scanning electron microscopic images (12-19). (Flat
 tower – 1.a Sporobolus spicatus, 1.b Paspalum vaginatum, 12.a Aeluropus
 lagopoides, 12.b Zoysia matrella), (Two-horned rondel – 2.a-e, 13.a-e),
 (Three-horned rondel – 3.a-c Porteresia coarctata, 3.d-e Paspalum
 vaginatum, 3.f Eragrostis gangetica, 3.g Dichanthium caricosum -14.a
 Paspalum conjugatum, 14.b Porteresia coarctata), (Four-horned rondel –
 4.a-g Porteresia coarctata), (Pyramidal rondel – 5. Coix lacryma-jobi),
 (Ellipsoid rondel – 6.a Digitaria bicornis, 6.b Sporobolus wallichii, 6.c
 Porteresia coarctata ), (Keeled rondel – 7.a Eragrostis unioloides, 7.b
 Eragrostis nutans, 15.a Paspalum distichum, 15.b Chrysopogon aciculatus
 15.c Leersia hexandra), (Spool/horned tower – 8.a Paspalum vaginatum, 8.b
 Porteresia coarctata, 18.a Eragrostis viscosa, 18.b Leptochloa chinensis,
 18.c Aeluropus lagopoides ), (Oval rondel – 9.a Thysanolaena maxima, 9.b
 Arundo donax, 9.c Eragrostis viscosa, 16 Sporobolus diander), (Wavy top
 rondel – 10 Aeluropus lagopoides, 17 Oryza rufipogon), (Complex tower –
 11.a Bambusa ventricosa, 11.b Desmostachya bipinata, 11.c Chloris montana,
 19. Bambusa wamin)Fig 6Selected sub-morphotypes
 of cross, trapeziform, and pooidae class groups, retrieved from the
 studied grasses. Light microscopic images (1-13) and scanning electron
 microscopic images (14-22). (Small cross with thin lobes – 2.a Leersia
 hexandra, 2.b Dichanthium caricosum, 2.c Paspalum distichum, 2.d
 Porteresia coarctata, 15.a Echinochloa crusgalli, 15.b Panicum repens,
 (Small cross with thick lobes – 1.a Echinochloa crus-pavonis, 1.b
 Brachiaria mutica, 1.c Panicum sp., 14.a Pennisetum typhoides, 14.b
 Setaria glauca, (Medium cross with thick lobes – 3.a Echinochloa stagnina,
 3.b Brachiaria subquadripara, 3.c. Saccharum officinarum 16. Echinochloa
 colonum), (Medium cross with thin lobes – 4.a Paspalum distichum, 4.b
 Brachiaria distachya, 4.c Paspalidium geminatum, 17. Imperata cylindrica),
 (Large cross with thick lobes – 5.a Coix lacryma-jobi, 5.b Paspalidium
 sp., 18. Coix gigantea), (Large cross with thin lobes – 6.a Brachiaria
 milliformis, 6.b Porteresia coarctata, 19.a Echinochloa frumentacea, 19.b
 Paspalum distichum), (Trapeziform rectangular short cell – 7.a Pennisetum
 pedicellatum, 7.b Bambusa tulda, 7.c Desmostachya bipinata, 20.a
 Eragrostis tenuifolia, 20.b Heteropogon contortus), (Trapeziform square
 short cell –8.a Vetiveria zizanioides, 8.b Sporobolus diander, 8.c
 Paspalum scrobiculatum), (Trapeziform sinuate 9.a, 9.b Triticum aestivum,
 (Trapeziform polylobate –10a, 21 Triticum aestivum, 10.b Brachiaria
 subquadripara, 10.c Aeluropus lagopoides), (Circular/Round – 11.a
 Echinochloa picia, 11.b Paspalum longifolium, 11.c Sporobolus diander,
 11.d Zoysia matrella, 21. Eragrostis coarctata), (Crescent moon – 12.a
 Sporobolus spicatus, 12.b Eleusine indica, 12.c Sporobolus diander, (13.
 Biconvex - Aeluropus lagopoides)Fig 7Selected sub-morphotypes
 of elongate, bulliform, and ‘others’ groups, retrieved from the studied
 grasses. Light microscopic images (1-13) and scanning electron microscopic
 images (14-24). (Elongate psilate/smooth long cells – 1.a Echinochloa
 stagnina, 1.b Panicum paludosum, 1.c Setaria palmifolia, 14. Eragrostis
 japonica), (Elongate papilate/sinuate long cells 2.a Digitaria bicornis,
 2.b Phragmites karka, 2.c Echinochloa crusgalli 15. Setaria barbata),
 (Elongate echinate long cells – 3.a Brachiaria milliformis, 3.b Panicum
 paludosum, 3.c Setaria viridis, 16.a Dendrocalamus giganteus, 16.b Bambusa
 wamin), (Elongate dendritic long cells – 4. Panicum repens, 17. Apluda
 mutica), (Elongate crenate long cell – 5. Triticum aestivum), (Elongate
 angular long cells – 6.a Digitaria setigera, 6.b Panicum repens, 6.c
 Cymbopogon citratus, 18. Bambusa oliveriana), (Parallepipedal bulliform –
 7.a Brachiaria sp., 7.b Imperata cylindrica, 23. Leptochloa chinensis),
 (Cuniform bulliform 8.a Oryza rufipogon, 8.b Bambusa vulgaris var.
 vittata, 8.c Dinochloa maclellandii, 24.a Imperata cylindrica, 24.b
 Pennisetum typhoides, 24.c Oryza sativa), (Stomate – 9.a Cynodon dactylon,
 9.b Paspalum longifolium, 9.c Eragrostis atrovirens, 21. Eleusine indica),
 (Silicified epidermal tissue – 10 Eragrostis japonica), (Prickle – 11.a
 Digitaria ciliaris, 11.b Eragrostis atrovirens, 19. Leptochloa chinensis),
 (Hair – 12. Digitaria abludens, 20. Dinochloa maclellandii), (Broken
 bilobate – 13.a Saccharum spontaneum, 13.b Aristida adscensionis, 22.
 Saccharum spontaneum)