Littledalea tibetica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 5–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acute.

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

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 10–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose; 1–2 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous; 10–30 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; smooth.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 9 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–7 mm long; 4 mm wide; scarious; much thinner on margins; purple; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma apex truncate, or obtuse. Palea 0.4 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bromeae. Hemsley.

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