Ophiuros bombaiensis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 25–35 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–15 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Peduncle widened at apex.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; bilateral; 5–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes oblong; 3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform.

Spikelets sunken; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged near apex; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth, or cancellate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Palea hyaline.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bor.

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