Iseilema dolichotrichum

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 6–8 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glandular (on keel); keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 2–4 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade margins glandular; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 3–4.5 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate, or elliptic; 1–1.2 cm long; herbaceous; green; tuberculate (on midnerve). Peduncle 0.1–0.2 cm long; tuberculate above.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; 0.7–0.8 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis pilose on surface. Rhachis internodes linear; 2 mm long. Raceme-bases brief (truncate); hirsute; with 4–5 mm long hairs.

Spikelets in threes (basal paired). Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 2.5–3 mm long; scabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; with both pairs arising at about the same level; pedicelled; deciduous with the fertile. Basal sterile spikelet pedicels linear; 2–3 mm long. Basal sterile spikelets barren, or male; oblong; 3–3.6 mm long; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; smooth, or scaberulous; scabrous on margins.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; 2.3–3 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; glabrous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4–5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 10 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; obtuse. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 15–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FRUIT Caryopsis obovoid; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. CEH.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Basal pedicels ciliate all along.

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