Capillipedium spicigerum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 100–150 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 5–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 10–25 cm long; 5–7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches capillary; pubescent in axils.

Racemes 0.8–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–8 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins, or ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 1.5 mm long; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); glabrous, or ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2-keeled; keeled obtusely; 8–9 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface flat; pubescent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2–2.8 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 12–18 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.2–1.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Vickery.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS 4–5 intercarinal veins.

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