Iseilema schmidii

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 9–10 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; linear; 25 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate, or elliptic; herbaceous; purple; tuberculate (on midnerve).

Racemes 1; single; oblong; 1.2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis internodes linear; 1 mm long.

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

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; paired; 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; 0.6–0.8 mm long. Basal sterile spikelets male; elliptic, or oblong; 5.5 mm long; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; tuberculate on margins and ciliate on margins.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate, or elliptic; 4 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; tuberculate on margins; 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; 6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; pallid; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume primary vein smooth. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous. 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; 11–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Camus 2001.

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