Eriochloa polystachya

HABIT Perennial. Culms rambling; 100–200 cm long; 3–4 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.8–1.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 8–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 6–12 cm long; pilose above.

Racemes 8–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 5–8 cm long; secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 15–25 cm long; villous. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; villous on surface. Spikelet packing adaxial.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 3.2–3.6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute; muticous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Costa Rica 1993.

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