GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Piptochaetium burkartianum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–50 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; as wide as blade at the collar; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 20–30 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7–9 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 6–12 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; angular; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; pilose; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; membranous; with hyaline margins; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.5 mm long; indurate; light brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex with an annular corona; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn eccentric; geniculate; 18–20 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous. Palea reflexed at apex; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Parodi 1997.

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