Piptochaetium angolense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30–50 cm long; 1 mm diam.; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes 6–18 cm long. Culm-nodes constricted; brown, or purple; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 6–8 cm long; subequal to internodes; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 6–15 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 10–30 fertile spikelets. Peduncle 9–13 cm long; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–10 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Panicle branches hispidulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–6 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.3 mm long; pilose; pungent. Floret callus hairs 0.25 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–7.5 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.5–5 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface tuberculate. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex with an annular corona; with corona 0.5 mm wide; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 3.5 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Ciadella 2004.

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