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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Ichnanthus calvescens

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or rambling; 40–350 cm long. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to hispid; with simple hairs, or tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blade base simple, or broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 8–30 cm long; 10–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous to pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 20–45 cm long; 9–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–6 -nate; whorled at most nodes; 10–15 cm long.

Spikelets ascending; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; angular; flexuous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 2.5–4 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings adnate to lemma; these appendages 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 0.5–1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 0.5–1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate, or oblong; 1 length of spikelet; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Stieber.

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