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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.
Germainia grandiflora
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 50–100 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades erect; 7–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; erect; linear; 3.5–7 cm long; bearing many spikelets; bearing 10–15 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis tough; angular; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3 mm long.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels 1.7–2 mm long; pubescent.
STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent, or well-developed; 2 in number; subsessile; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous.
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; oblong; dorsally compressed; 6.5–12 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; 7 -veined (lower); pubescent (at apex); erose; truncate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; 6–12 mm long; entire, or dentate; muticous, or 1-awned; with 0–2.5 mm long awn.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; subterete; 4–7 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus linear; 0.5–1 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs red.
GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 4–7 mm long; 1.2 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 3–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.5–4.8 mm long; hyaline; truncate. Fertile lemma hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 25–53 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 4.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Chaianan.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
