Hyparrhenia filipendula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; scaly. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect; 60–200 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 30–80 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 4.5–5.5 cm long; membranous. Peduncle 4–5.5 cm long; glabrous, or pilose above.

Racemes 2; paired; side by side, or end to end; erect; 1–1.2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1–2 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 filiform; unequal (the longer measured); (4–)4.5–8(–10) mm long; glabrous, or pubescent.

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; 4 in upper raceme; linear, or lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous to villous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous to villous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 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 linear, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 5.5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 1.8–3 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; 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 lateral veins without ribs, or ribbed. Lower glume surface flat, or concave; glabrous to villous. Lower glume hairs white. 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; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 30–55 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hirtellous (fulvously); with 0.7–1.2 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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