Cleistogenes ramiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–35 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 3–9 cm long; 2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 5–12 cm long. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex entire; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 3 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in upper sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Keng 1996.

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