Arundinella bengalensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly; hairy. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 100–200 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or bearded. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 20–60 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; glabrous, or ciliate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle contracted; linear; 15–30 cm long; 1–3 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1–2.5 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth, or scabrous; with scattered hairs, or hispid. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 2–2.75 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.3–3.5 mm long; 1.1–1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough on veins; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 2 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea with auriculate flaps; chartaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1–1.25 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

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

NOTES Arundinelleae. Bor 1993.

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