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Descriptions

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

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

Heteropholis formosa

HABIT Annual. Culms 20–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–12 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal, or terminal and axillary; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle widened at apex.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; unilateral; 5–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated; 3 mm wide. Rhachis hairs white; 1–1.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes columnar; 2.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with hairy rim.

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

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 unequal glumes without lemmas; lanceolate, or ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes membranous; 1 -veined; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.2 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 1–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; keeled obtusely. Lower glume surface smooth; pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume margins ciliate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; hyaline; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma ovate; hyaline; without keel.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Gardner.

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