Littledalea racemosa

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Culms erect; 27–35 cm long; 2 mm diam.; 3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; 9.5–11 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 5–7 cm long; 2.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–12 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 8–11 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous; 20–40 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 20–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2.5 mm long; smooth.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–15 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 20–23 mm long; 4 mm wide; scarious; much thinner on margins; purple; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma apex emarginate to obtuse. Palea 0.66 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 6 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bromeae. Keng.

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