Otachyrium boliviense

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; spongy. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths inflated. Ligule an eciliate membrane; entire. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades 15–25 cm long; 5–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 13–16 cm long; 5–9 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle axis pilose.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; tilted on the pedicel; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green, or purple. Upper glume orbicular; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green, or purple; without keels.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; sulcate; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on keels at maturity; winged on keels (narrowly). Fertile lemma ovate; 2–3 mm long; indurate; pallid, or purple; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Bolivia 1997.

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