Oropetium roxburghianum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10–25 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 1–4 cm long; 0.2–0.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; 4–10 cm long. Rhachis fracturing into irregular segments; subcylindrical and excavated. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets sunken; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.75 mm long; 0.2–0.4 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; 1–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2–2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 2–3 -fid. Palea hyaline; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0.1 length of fertile floret. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; male; oblong; 1.5–2 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; fusiform; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.

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