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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Otachyrium versicolor

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms erect; 20–65 cm long. Culm-nodes constricted; brown; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths loose; scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–40 cm long; 2–24 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–30 cm long; 2–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle axis pilose.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2–3.5 mm long; 2.5–3 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(–5) -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume orbicular; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on keels at maturity; winged on keels and winged on margins. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2–3.5 mm long; indurate; light brown, or dark brown; shiny; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1.5–2 mm long; yellow. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Send & Sod.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Longer pedicel 1.5–2 length of shorter.

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