Chionochloa flavescens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths pallid, or purple; persistent and investing base of culm; with dead sheaths fracturing into segments. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 50–150 cm long; 4–10 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pilose. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 10–20 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy; inner surface glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent; 1 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades drooping; deciduous with part of sheath attached; flat; 40–130 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous, or papillose; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 15–30 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; bearded; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 12–14 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute, or setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–18 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–9 mm long; membranous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy between veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; with lobes 3 mm long; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 14–16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4 mm long. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 3 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 10 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.5 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.5 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.