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.

Hitchcockella baronii

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; zigzag; 1–1.5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Branch complement three, or several. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2.5–3 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; scanty; with foliaceous subtending bracts; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; with ultimate bract subtending a compact bracteolate fascicle of spikelets.

Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 0.6–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined; pubescent on midvein; ciliolate on margins; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–1.5 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 13 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea ovate; chartaceous; 8 -veined. Palea keels approximate; pubescent. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on flanks. Palea apex acuminate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. WDC.

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