Arundinella hirta

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 50–120 cm long; 1.5–5 mm diam.; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or hirsute. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent, or bearded. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to hirsute; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 7–40 cm long; 5–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous to pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute to acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; dense, or loose; 15–50 cm long; 1.5–9 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 2–17 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.33–0.5 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–3.7 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 3–3.25 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 3(–5) -veined; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 2.5–3.2 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire; acuminate; muticous. Palea with auriculate flaps; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 2.2–2.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia.

NOTES Arundinelleae. Ohwi 1993.

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