Arundinella laxiflora

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Rootstock not evident, or evident. Culms slender; 30–70 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate, or convolute; 7–15 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous, or pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; filiform.

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

Panicle open; ovate; 3–6 cm long. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 12–16 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4.25 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex rostrate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 3 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long. Palea with auriculate flaps; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.25–1.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinelleae. Bor 1993.

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