Pariana radiciflora

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms erect; 20–100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline; 4–12 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 8–12 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect; 0–5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.4 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 12–23 cm long; 25–60 mm wide; dark green and light green; discolorous with last colour beneath. 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; oblong; multilateral; 6–11 cm long; 10–14 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete. Spikelet packing crowded. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform.

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; 9–17 mm long; base obconical. Pedicels fused to each other; united along margins; cuneate; flattened; 2.5–4.2 mm long; glabrous to pubescent; tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 5–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers (12–)18–24(–30). Stigmas 2; terminally exserted. Ovary glabrous.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; deciduous with the fertile; ovate; 5.5–8.5 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2. Male spikelet lemma 5.5–8.5 mm long; 2–3 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Parianeae. Fl Guian 1994.

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