Hackelochloa granularis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 5–100 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths loose, or inflated; hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; 2–15 cm long; 4–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 1; single; 0.5–1.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened. Rhachis internodes oblong; 1–1.5 mm long; adherent to upper glume of sessile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly; oblong.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; ovate; asymmetrical; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2.5 mm long; as long as fertile, or longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; winged on keels; distinctly veined; 5–7 -veined; smooth; glabrous; entire; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; without keels. Lower glume surface rugose, or cancellate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; cartilaginous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; dorsally compressed.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: northwestern and north-central. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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