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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Elytrophorus spicatus
HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 5–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle glomerate; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 2–30 cm long; (0.3–)0.5–0.7 cm wide.
Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 3–5 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 3–5 in the cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; linear; 1–2 mm long; as long as fertile, or longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes membranous; 1 -veined; truncate; awned; with 0.5–1 mm long awn.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 2–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.5–1 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–1 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1 mm long overall. Palea orbicular; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; with toothed wings. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 1, or 2. Anthers 1–3; 0.3 mm long. Stigmas 2; sparsely hairy.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Arundineae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
