Arundinella metzii

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 10–100 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths hispid; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–40 cm long; 3–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Peduncle glabrous, or pilose above.

Panicle open; oblong; 20–50 cm long; 10–25 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 5–15 cm long. Panicle axis 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; 3–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough on veins; glabrous, or pilose; hairy between veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.75–4.25 mm long; 2.5–4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy between veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume apex caudate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1.75–2.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 3 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1–2 mm long. Palea with auriculate flaps; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.6–1 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.