Mesosetum penicillatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 35–70 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 5–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins ciliate, or tuberculate-ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 3–4 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing adaxial.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–5.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–3.3 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy below. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.8–4.2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein tuberculate (below hair tuft). Upper glume surface with a dorsal tuft of hair. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs 3 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined; pilose; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea coriaceous; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; yellow.

FRUIT 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.