Hyparrhenia hirta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms erect; 30–60(–100) cm long; wiry. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform, or linear; flat, or conduplicate; 2–15 cm long; 1–2(–4) mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty; 10–30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear, or lanceolate; 3–8 cm long; membranous; red. Peduncle 3–8 cm long; glabrous, or pilose above.

Racemes 2; paired; erect; 2–4 cm long; bearing 4–7(–8) 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); 2.5–5 mm long; glabrous, or pubescent, or hirsute.

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 (0.2–1mm).

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; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–7 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; villous; with white hairs; acute; muticous. 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 elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4–6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 0.5–1.5 mm long; pubescent; base acute; 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 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; 10–35 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous; with 0.2–0.3 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Caribbean, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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