Introduction
Fimbristylis Vahl is a large genus within the Cyperaceae family, comprising approximately 316, (Govaerts et al ., 2018) and recent information indicates that the genus now includes around 320 species (POWO, 2020). These species are predominantly found in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few occurring in warm temperate areas. Notably, within India, Karthikeyan et al . (1989) documented 90 species (102 taxa) of Fimbristylis , while Wadoodkhan (2015) reported 102 species (123 taxa) from the Western Ghats, West Coast, and Maharashtra. Additionally, Prasad & Singh (2002) recorded 115 species from India. In recent decade, nine new species viz., Fimbristylis matthewii Murugesan et al .(2010), F.velliangiriensisMurugesan et al .(2010), F.clarkei Kumar et al .(2013), F.pokkudaniana Sunil et al .( 2016),F.tuckeri Viji et al .(2016), F. pandeyana Mujaffar, Wad. Khan & A.P. Tiwari (2017), F.murthyi Yarrayya&Kumar (2018),F. agasthyamalaensis Viji & Preetha (2018) andFimbristylissunilii, Sanilkumar& Nithya (2021) have also been described. Presently, India is home to a total of 123 species. In central India, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, the genus is represented by 38 taxa (Khanna et al . 2001, Mujaffar et al . 2017, Mujaffar et al ., 2019).
During an exploration of the Cyperaceae family in Madhya Pradesh, India, the authors collected an interesting species of Fimbristylis in the rocky areas of Pachmarhi hills, located in the Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh. Through careful examination of the collected specimens and extensive review of relevant literature, including work by Clarke (1893), Fischer (1931), Karthikeyan et al . (1989), Kern (1974), Koyama (1985), Prasad & Singh (2002), Shuren et al., (2010) Wadoodkhan (2015), and Viji and Preetha (2018), the authors confirmed that this species is distinct from others in the genus. This distinct species, closely related to F. aestivalis (Retz.) Vahl andF. griffithii Boeckeler, is described and illustrated in this study. Key differentiating characteristics are summarized in Table 1.