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.

Chloris formosana

HABIT Perennial. Stolons absent, or present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–75 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–20 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous.

Racemes 5–9; digitate; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis subterete; pilose on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.3–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2–2.5 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.3–3 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate. Lemma surface glabrous to pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs 1 mm long. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2–5.7 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1.6–1.9 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 2.3–5 mm long; 2 per spikelet in number.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.2–1.6 mm long.

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

NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.

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