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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Hemarthria compressa

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms prostrate; 50–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths 2.5–3 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; 2–8 cm long. Rhachis fracturing into irregular segments; flattened; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes columnar; adherent to upper glume of sessile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat.

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

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate, or elliptic; 4–5 mm long; longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet callus truncate. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; acute. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; glabrous; base truncate; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or oblong; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly; 7 -veined. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse. Upper glume oblong; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.2 mm long; hyaline; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Pak 1993.

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