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 indutum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 15–20 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades curved; convolute; 6–8 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 6 secondary veins; with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 10–12 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 5 cm long; 1 cm wide; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 5–15 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.5 mm long; pubescent; pungent. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 5.5–6 mm long; indurate; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma hairs dark brown; 0.5 mm long. Lemma apex with a membranous corona; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn median; bigeniculate; 20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 5–7 mm long; pubescent. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex pubescent.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Parodi 1995.

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