Iseilema jainianum

HABIT Perennial; mat forming, or caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–60 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; linear; 3–20 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate; 1–1.5 cm long; herbaceous; without tubercles; glabrous.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each. Raceme-bases brief (truncate).

Spikelets in threes (basal paired). Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform.

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; male; lanceolate; 3–6 mm long; smaller than fertile, or equalling fertile, or larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; ciliate on margins.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 2.5–6 mm long; shorter than fertile, or as long as fertile, or longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes cartilaginous; 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 elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; membranous; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 8–13 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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