Olyra glaberrima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending; 60–200 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes hollow; distally glabrous, or pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Culm-nodes swollen; purple; glabrous. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths ribbed; hispid; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.5–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.7 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 17–27 cm long; 4–8.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation parallel. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; pyramidal; effuse; 9–23 cm long; 5–18 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at lower nodes; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each lower branch; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous in axils.

Sexes segregated; on unisexual branches and bisexual branches; with male below. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels (female) clavate; angular; scabrous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 15–23 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–23 mm long; 1.5–1.7 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 5–11 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–14 mm long; 1.5–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 6.5–8.6 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth; pubescent; hairy above and below. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea indurate; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex undifferentiated, or pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 3–6 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis ellipsoid; 4.5–5.4 mm long; light brown. Disseminule comprising a floret.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; lanceolate; 7.3–12 mm long; glabrous. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; awned; with 1–2 mm long awn.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Olyreae. Sod & Zuol.

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