Diarrhena fauriei

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 60–90 cm long; 1.8–3 mm diam.; 5–7 -noded. Culm-internodes 5–14 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; entire, or erose; truncate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 20–30 cm long; 7–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 12–16 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2–5 -nate; sparsely divided; (2–)3–10 cm long; bearing (2–)4–15 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising (1–)2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 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; 2 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; exposed between gaping lemma and palea at maturity; 2.5 mm long; apex umbonate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, China, and eastern Asia.

NOTES Diarrheneae. Koyama.

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