Microstegium glabratum

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms rambling; 10–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; 2–10 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–11; digitate; 4–9 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip clavate.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; flattened; 2–2.5 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled obtusely. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear; 3 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 0.5–1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical, or from a sinus; flexuous; 10–15 mm long overall. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.7–1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and northwestern.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC 1993.

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