New! - Search other data sources for Microstegium rufispicum

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Microstegium rufispicum

HABIT Perennial. Culms prostrate; 60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–18 cm long; 8–12 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; digitate; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; glabrous on margins, or ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs tawny. Rhachis internodes columnar, or cuneate; 4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip clavate; cupuliform.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; heteromorphic (pedicelled smaller). Pedicels clavate; semiterete; 4 mm long; ciliate; with tawny hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 5.5–6 mm long (sessile), or 4 mm long (pedicelled); falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs tawny.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled obtusely. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent below, prominent above; 2 in number. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret absent. Palea of lower sterile floret membranous (6mm long). Fertile lemma linear; 1.5–2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight; 1–2 mm long overall.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Hackel 1993.

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