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Descriptions

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

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

Microstegium somae

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms rambling; 30–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 3–4 cm long; 6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–7; digitate; drooping; flexuous; 3–8 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–3 cm long. Rhachis tough; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 1–1.2 length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; terete; unequal; 1–1.5 mm long, or 2.5–3 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus pilose, or bearded; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 2-keeled; keeled above; 4 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume surface concave; scabrous. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–10 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2 mm long; hyaline; dentate; 2 -fid; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret flexuous; 2–10 mm long. Fertile lemma linear; 1.7–2 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex entire; emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; flexuous; 12 mm long overall. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.6–0.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl China 2004.

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