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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.
Eriochrysis cayennensis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–110 cm long. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 8 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–1.8 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 18–30 cm long; 3–5 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; appressed; linear to oblong; 1–2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–20 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip clavate.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; the upper smaller (female). Pedicels linear; 1–1.3 mm long; ciliate; with dark brown hairs; tip discoid.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1.1–1.3 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs dark brown; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume oblong; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface flat; villous; hairy above. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume hairs dark brown, or red; 2 mm long. Lower glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1.8–2 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1.2–1.4 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Palea absent or minute.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Andropogoneae. FW 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
