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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Coelorachis clarkei

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 20–60 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 8–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate, or fastigiate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear, or lanceolate; 2–3 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 1.3–2.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on surface; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes pyriform; 1–1.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels inflated; semiterete; 1–1.5 mm long; tip cupuliform.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; elliptic, or ovate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes winged on keels. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; winged on keel; winged broadly; winged all along; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth; glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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