Pariana bicolor

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades oblong, or ovate; 12–22 cm long; 25–50 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm. Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; erect; multilateral; 7–9 cm long; 8–10 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; terminating in a spikelet. Spikelet packing lax. Rhachis internodes linear.

Sexes mixed (in a cluster at each node). Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets pedicelled; 5 in a cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets; with pedicels forming a cup; oblong. Pedicels fused to each other; united along margins; oblong; flattened; 2–3 mm long; puberulous and villous (at base); tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea coriaceous; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 25. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 2.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; deciduous with the fertile; ovate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; glabrous, or hairy. Male spikelet glumes 2; triangular; 2–2.5 mm long. Male spikelet lemma 3.5–4.5 mm long; 3 -veined; with cross-veins.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and Brazil.

NOTES Parianeae. Tutin 1995.

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