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.

Arthraxon multinervis

HABIT Annual. Culms 30–50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 4–7 cm long; 12–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; digitate. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 0.4 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume surface convex; scabrous; rough on veins; glabrous, or pilose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 1.5–4 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column, or with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Chen & Jin 1996.

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