Chionochloa crassiuscula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths red, or purple; glossy; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–65 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 6–12 cm long; inner surface glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or pubescent; 0.5–1 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; conduplicate; 15–30 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; smooth, or scaberulous; ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–15 cm long. Panicle axis pilose. Panicle branches flexuous; pilose; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 14–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5 mm long. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pilose; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 2.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex entire, or erose, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute, or setaceously attenuate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–16 mm long; 1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume apex entire, or erose, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute, or setaceously attenuate; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–9.5 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; with lobes 3.5 mm long; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned, or 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; curved; reflexed; flat below; 10–12 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 0–3 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 7 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 2 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 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.