Capillipedium sulcatum

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or decumbent; 50–100 cm long; with prop roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths loose; keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades 25–50 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; oblong; 6–10 cm long.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; 1–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 3 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 3.5 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 3.5 mm long; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); ciliate; with 3 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 6 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes 13 -veined. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus 0.75 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; 10 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; 1-keeled; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 15 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bor 1994.

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