Ischaemum kingii

HABIT Annual. Culms 20–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–8 cm long; 6–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate; 4–6 cm long.

Racemes 2; paired; appressed back to back; 4–5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate; 5 mm long; flat and forming a U or V shape with the pedicel in rear view. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels clavate; 5 mm long; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; elliptic; 7–8 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; keeled; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; pubescent; base truncate; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally. Lower glume surface concave; laterally waisted; pilose; hairy above. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 2 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.5–3.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface with a dorsal tuft of hair. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 6 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; membranous. Fertile lemma oblong; membranous; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC 1994.

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