Echinolaena ecuadoriana

HABIT Perennial. Culms prostrate, or rambling; 60–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.7–0.9 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.4 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 4.5–12.8 cm long; 10–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–4; borne along a central axis; deflexed; unilateral; 1.5–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–5 cm long; pilose. Rhachis subterete; 1–1.5 mm wide; pilose on surface; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate; extension 5–9 mm long.

Spikelets pectinate; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 5–9 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings adnate to lemma; these appendages 0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; clasping; 5–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex attenuate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–3 mm long. Upper glume elliptic; 5–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy above; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 4–4.2 mm long; membranous; 5 -veined; pilose; hairy above; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 3–3.3 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.8–3 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface with distinct germination flap. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.6–1.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.6–1.8 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.66 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.33 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Uppermost raceme reduced to 1 spikelet.

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