Bothriochloa grahamii

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths inflated; keeled; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades 6–12 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform; smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–7; digitate; flexuous; 3.5–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–2 cm long. Rhachis ciliate on margins.

Pedicels linear; flattened; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; as long as fertile. Companion sterile spikelet callus 3–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus pilose. Spikelet callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume oblong; light green; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; pilose. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; hyaline; 1–3 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 15–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Haines 2000.

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