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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Agenium leptocladum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; slender; 50–60 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–10 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle scaberulous above.
Racemes 1; single; erect; 3.5–4.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; flattened; 3 mm long; ciliate.
STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 8–12 in number; male; lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous.
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–10 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus square; 0.5 mm long; obtuse. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; acute. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 7–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1–2 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 8 -veined. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove; pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 3 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 20–50 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.
FRUIT Disseminule comprising a spikelet.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
