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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Chionochloa howensis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes ridged; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; involute; 30–60 cm long; 6–12 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; dense; 15–25 cm long; 6–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–5 -nate; 5–10 cm long. Panicle axis terete, or angular; pubescent. Panicle branches angular; pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long; pubescent.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.25 mm long; pilose; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5–1 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.5–2.5 mm long; awned; 1 -awned, or 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical, or from a sinus; curved; 5–10 mm long overall; without a column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.25 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Arundineae. Jacobs 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
