Capillipedium annamense

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pilose. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths smooth; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades 11–12 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; hirsute. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; oblong; 5–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–2 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; bearded in axils.

Racemes 1 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; plumose on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); villous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; scaberulous; ciliolate on margins; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; enclosed by glumes; 1.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; purple; 2-keeled; keeled obtusely; 7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume surface concave; asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2.5 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 22–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 5 mm long; pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Camus 1997.

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