Ottochloa grandiflora

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–50 cm long; 2.5 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample; arising from lower culm and mid culm. Leaf-sheaths 3–4 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 8–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–6; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–2 cm long; bearing 4–6 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 10–15 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 2–5 mm long; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 6 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of upper glume; 0.15–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner on margins; 5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 2 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Paniceae. Jansen 1997.

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