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Descriptions

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

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

Dichanthium paranjpyeanum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–45 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 2.5–7.5 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle flexuous; glabrous.

Racemes 1; single; 1.2–2.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; without a translucent median line; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; oblong; 4–6 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; winged on keels (above); 7–9 -veined; obtuse. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume margins ciliolate (at tip). Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma linear; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with linear lobes; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 40 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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