Parahyparrhenia laegaardii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 70–95 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades ascending, or spreading, or reflexed; flat, or involute; 5.5–12.5 cm long; 2–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; herbaceous.

Racemes 1–2; single, or paired; 3–7 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3–4 mm long; 0.66 length of fertile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases filiform; subequal; 6.5–9 mm long; glabrous.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 4–5 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 8–14 in number.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus linear; 1–2 mm long; obtuse. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; sulcate; awned; one glume awned (upper); with 5 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; 1-awned; with 8 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 6–6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.8–2.5 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs white; 0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5–6.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 3(–4) -veined. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove; pilose; hairy above. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume elliptic; 6–6.5 mm long; coriaceous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 7–8.5 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets with vestigial lower floret. Fertile lemma oblong; 6 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 45–52 mm long overall; with 20–25 mm long limb; with twisted column; limb puberulous. Column of lemma awn 25–27 mm long; puberulous. Palea lanceolate; 4 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.8–3.7 mm long; yellow.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Veldkamp 2003.

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