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.

Cleistogenes hancei

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms erect; robust; 80–100 cm long; 2–2.5 mm diam. Culm-internodes similar in length. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tight; longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 5–15 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–14 cm long. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.8–2 mm long; pubescent; hairy at tip. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.8–5.3 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; (3–)5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; 2.2 mm wide; membranous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy below. Lemma hairs 0.3 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.3–0.5 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 1.4–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in upper sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east and China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Conert.

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