Chionachne massiei

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 20–75 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths 1.3–9.4 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect; 0–0.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 3.4–39 cm long; 7–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 4–8 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence composed of racemes; axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear; 1–1.8 cm long; herbaceous. Peduncle widened at apex.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 0.8–2.1 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each (and 2(-6) male almost enfolded by topmost female spikelet). Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; glabrous on surface. Rhachis internodes linear; 4–5 mm long; bearing a sterile companion laterally. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform.

Sexes segregated; on bisexual branches; with male above. Spikelets embracing internode; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in a cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, or well-developed; linear, or lanceolate; 1.5–3.25 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 7–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; winged on margins; winged near apex. Lower glume surface asperulous; transversely waisted; glabrous. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume ovate, or orbicular; 4.5–5.2 mm long; herbaceous, or coriaceous; without keels; 15–17 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic, or ovate; 4.5–5 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea present; oblong, or ovate; 3–4 mm long; hyaline.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2–3 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

MALE Male spikelets resembling female; with pedicels fused to rhachis; elliptic to ovate; 2.5–5 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2; 6–9 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Jannik & Veldkamp 2004.

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