Bothriochloa laguroides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30–80 cm long; 2 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.7–3.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 7–12 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; 1–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–7 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 6.5–9.6 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 1.6–2.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; 2.1–3.3 mm long; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); villous; with 6.3–8.5 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas; lanceolate; 1.9–3.5 mm long. Companion sterile spikelet glumes 3–7 -veined.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.6–4 mm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 1–3.1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; puberulous, or pubescent; hairy below. Lower glume hairs 0.6–1.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; 1.5–2 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 9.1–14.4 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Pacific: north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Scrivanti 2012.

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