Hyparrhenia cymbaria

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent. Culms erect, or decumbent; robust; 200–400 cm long; 4–8 mm diam.; with prop roots. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 25–45 cm long; 6–20 mm wide; stiff, or firm.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 20–40 cm long; dense. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole ovate; 0.8–1.8(–2.1) cm long; membranous; red; glabrous. Peduncle 0.3–0.8 cm long; hispid above.

Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 0.7–1.3 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases flattened; subequal; 0.5–1 mm long; stiffly setose.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; ciliate; tip oblique.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 4–6(–7) mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous, or pubescent; ciliate on margins; lower glume muticous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous, or puberulous; ciliate on margins; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; one glume awned; with 0–1.5 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.8–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.2–0.3 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse (broadly); attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume linear; coriaceous; without keels.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; mucronate (rarely), or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 0.5–1.6(–2) mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous; with 0.2–0.4 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. North America: Mexico.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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