Mesosetum alatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 30–65 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 4–15 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 2.5–6 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; 2.8–3 mm wide. Spikelet packing adaxial.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.2–4.2 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.5–3 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate (below). Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; thicker on margins; 5 -veined; with marginal tufts of hair and with dorsal tufts of hair; 3 hair tufts in all; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat; ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea coriaceous; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; yellow, or purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis plano-convex. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Filgueiras.

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