Halopyrum mucronatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Butt sheaths scarious; glabrous. Culms erect; 60–100 cm long; wiry. Lateral branches sparse. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades curled; involute; 15–45 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–10; borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 2–6 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–7 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 10–40 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 1.5–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–25 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12–26 mm long; 5–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; obscured by lemmas; villous; hairy at tip; with 3–5 mm long hairs. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.3–0.5 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets free at tip. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel, or keeled; lightly keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins midway between midvein and margin. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; incised 0.05 of lemma length; obtuse, or acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 1 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3; linear. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; concavo-convex; estipitate; glabrous. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform. Endosperm farinose. Disseminule comprising a floret.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.

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