Pariana ovalifolia

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 135 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths reticulately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5–0.8 cm long. Leaf-blades ovate; 17–24 cm long; 60–70 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Racemes 1; single; drooping; oblong; multilateral; 16 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Spikelet packing distant.

Sexes mixed (in a cluster at each node). Spikelets appressed; 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; cuneate; flattened; 3 mm long; tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 7 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Stigmas 2.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; deciduous with the fertile; oblong; 5–6 mm long; hairy (pubescent). Male spikelet glumes 2; ovate; 5–6 mm long; coriaceous; 1–2 -veined. Male spikelet lemma 5–6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Parianeae. Swallen 2001.

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