Otachyrium grandiflorum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 20–50 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; without nodal roots. Culm-nodes constricted; pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths loose; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 3–20 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–15 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; elliptic; 2–5 cm long; 2–3 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis glabrous.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1–5 mm long, or 10–20 mm long; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate, or orbicular; dorsally compressed; 4–7.5 mm long; 2–7.5 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3(–5) -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume orbicular; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 3–7 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on keels at maturity; winged on keels and winged on margins. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–7 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Send & Sod.

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