Cenchrus caliculatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 30–200(–300) cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.6 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–56 cm long; 1–19 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation distinct. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle hirsute above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; loose (internodes 1–3.2mm); 4–23.5 cm long; 1–2.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular, or with briefly decurrent ribs; pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–3 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a disc below; with 0.5 mm connate; oblong, or ovate, or globose; 4–10.8 mm long; base bluntly stipitate; base 0.3–3 mm long; base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; 8–12 in principal whorl; inner bristles longer than outer; with longest bristle scarcely emergent, or with one conspicuously longer bristle; 4–10 mm long; terete; without grooves; rigid; retrorsely scaberulous; pubescent, or ciliate; spinose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3.8–6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–3.5 mm long; 0.3–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 2.4–4.8 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong, or ovate; 3.5–6.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.8–6.1 mm long; cartilaginous, or coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; cartilaginous, or coriaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and north-central.

NOTES Paniceae. De Lisle 2000.

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