Chionochloa acicularis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths papery; persistent and investing base of culm. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 6–12 cm long; keeled; pilose; inner surface glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 7 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; terete; 25–50 cm long; 1 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle hirsute above.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis pilose. Panicle branches pilose; bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 14–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–1 mm long; pilose; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 1–2.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–13 mm long; 1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–9 mm long; membranous; yellow; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy between veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; with lobes 3–4 mm long; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 11–16 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1–2 mm long. Palea 5–7 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Arundineae. Connor.

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