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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Aeluropus macrostachyus

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Culms decumbent, or prostrate; 15–40 cm long; woody. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; flat, or convolute; 1–8 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–2.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets, or many spikelets; bearing 2–10 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 3–18 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–30 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5–2.25 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 2.25–3 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent; ribbed. Lemma surface villous; hairy below; hairy between veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Disseminule comprising a floret.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Bor.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.