|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Imperata brasiliensis
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 25–75 cm long; 1 mm diam. Culm-internodes solid; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–1 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades erect; 6–15 cm long; 8–10 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle 10–20 cm long; glabrous.
Panicle spiciform; linear; 6–15 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Panicle axis scabrous; villous. Panicle branches scabrous; villous.
Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis tough; subterete. Rhachis internodes filiform.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal; tip discoid.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 3.5–4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 8–12 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface villous.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; oblong; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; erose; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 0.5–1.1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 1; 1.8–2.8 mm long. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted.
DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Costa Rica 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
