Andropogon lateralis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 70–150 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 5–16 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 7–34 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; linear. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 2–6; digitate; 2.5–7.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs on upper part of internode; 0.5–4 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 3.5–4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform; with simple rim.

Spikelets ascending; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; ciliate; with 0.5–4 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.5–8 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume surface concave. Upper glume linear; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 5.5–11 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 0.5–1.5 mm long; glabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–1.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Herve & Valls 1995.

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