Apocopis paleacea

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths papery, or scarious. Culms 40–80 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; erose. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 6–12 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; 1.5–4 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs dark brown. Rhachis internodes linear; 2 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels adnate at the base to lower glume of sessile spikelet; linear; ciliate; with 2–3 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or obovate; dorsally compressed; truncate; 4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or obovate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.8–1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; dark brown; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein extending to apex. Lower glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex; with some extending to apex (the outer pair). Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex truncate; mucronate (lateral veins excurrent). Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex erose; truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.9 length of spikelet; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bor.

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