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Descriptions

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

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

Mnesithea mollicoma

HABIT Perennial. Culms robust; 35–70 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths keeled; pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 25–50 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; 2–2.5 mm wide; glabrous on surface. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 3–4 mm long; with the lower often bearing triads. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels columnar; semiterete; 3.8 mm long; tip cupuliform.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas; lanceolate; 0.6 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes winged on keels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3.6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; asymmetrical; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; 2-keeled; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged near apex; 6 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface tuberculate; pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; asymmetrical; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2.6 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.8 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.4 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Palea 0.66 length of lemma.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Gilliland.

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