Otachyrium pterigodium

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms decumbent; 50–55 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes constricted; brown, or black; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths loose; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 5 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 8–17 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–7 cm long; 0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous.

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; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; 1.3 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on keels at maturity; winged on keels and winged on margins. Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; chartaceous; yellow; dull; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea membranous; 0 -veined.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1.5 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Send & Sod.

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