Ischaemum cannanorense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths 2–6 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; acute. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–10 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole 3–6 cm long; glabrous.

Racemes 2; paired; appressed back to back; 2–5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; villous on surface. Rhachis hairs 0.5–1.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes oblong; 2.5–3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 2–2.5 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3.5–5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; keeled; winged on keels (1 keel); 11–13 -veined; glabrous, or pilose. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; 3–3.5 mm long; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3.5–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1 mm long; pilose; base truncate; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs 0.5–1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 3.5–5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; 11–13 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; smooth, or rugose; glabrous, or villous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic, or oblong; hyaline; 3–5 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 18–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 8–10 mm long; glabrous. Palea oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; obovate; 0.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long; yellow, or purple. Filaments 0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Sreekuma 1999.

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