Ottochloa nodosa

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 100–200 cm long; spongy; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–15 cm long; secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 10–20 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; 0.3–0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.3–0.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 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; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute; ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; coriaceous; 2 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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