Hyparrhenia griffithii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 4–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 25–35 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear; 4–7 cm long; membranous. Peduncle flexuous; 3–8 cm long; pilose above.

Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 1.5–3.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear; 3.5–4.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 3.5–8 mm long; glabrous.

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; toothed (0.5mm).

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme, or 2 in upper raceme; lanceolate; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth on margins; lower glume muticous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; villous; acute; muticous, or awned; one glume awned; with 0–4 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; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 1.5–2 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; dark brown, or purple; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface pilose, or 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; 40–60 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent (rufously); with 0.4–0.6 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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