Ischaemum timorense

HABIT Annual. Culms rambling; 15–60 cm long; 1 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–15 cm long; 4–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; 2.5–7.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 0.8–1.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 3 mm long; flat and forming a U or V shape with the pedicel in rear view and with a basal circular pore between internode and pedicel. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 3.5 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; 1-awned; with 6–16 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.5 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled above; keeled laterally; wingless; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume surface convex. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; much thinner above; 1-keeled; keeled above; wingless; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1–3 -veined. Fertile lemma ovate; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 6–16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea 1 length of lemma.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, northwestern, and north-central. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Gilliland.

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