Agnesia lancifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–50 cm long; swollen at the base. Culm-internodes distally pubescent (in lines). Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline; 3–15 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 2–3 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 0.5 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–16 cm long; 3–30 mm wide; mid-green, or mid-green and purple; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or bracts (1 bract when a short basal branch present); embraced at base by subtending leaf; with 1–4 peduncles per sheath. Axillary inflorescences similar to terminal. Peduncle 4–8 cm long; pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; 2–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1(–4) fertile spikelets on each.

Sexes segregated; on bisexual branches; with male below; with 4–12 male spikelets per branch. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 11–15 mm long; falling entire, or breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 5(–8) -veined. Lower glume lateral veins convergent at apex. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; inner surface scabrous (above). Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 4.5–8 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2.5–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–8 mm long; 1.7–2 mm wide; indurate; pallid and purple; mottled with last colour; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma hairs 1 mm long. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea indurate.

FRUIT Disseminule comprising a spikelet.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; separately deciduous; linear; 7–8 mm long; hairy. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 7–8 mm long; 3 -veined; awned; with 1–2 mm long awn.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and Brazil.

NOTES Olyreae. Zuloaga 2000.

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