Chaetium cubanum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–60 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 5–10 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–7; borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–7 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; 6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus linear; 1 mm long; pubescent; hairy above; base obtuse; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 6 mm long (flexuous). Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 8 mm long (flexuous).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; ribbed; scaberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea involute; 1 length of lemma; coriaceous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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