Stenostachys deceptorix

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 40–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 5–10 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 0.5–0.7 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.25–0.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; drooping; bilateral; 10–20 cm long; bearing 20–30 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.8–2 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume subulate; 0.5–10 mm long. Upper glume subulate; 2.5–10 mm long; 0.25–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 5–6.5 mm long overall. Palea 8–10 mm long. Palea apex emarginate, or obtuse. Rhachilla extension 3–3.5 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.7–0.8 mm long. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 5–5.5 mm long. Embryo 0.2–0.25 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Triticeae. Connor 2000.

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