Eulalia thwaitesii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 10–30 cm long; 2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle pubescent above.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or digitate; 5–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; villous on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; angular; villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; 2-keeled; keeled above. Lower glume surface flat; villous. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret membranous; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–13 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.