Piptochaetium napostaense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; 10–20 cm long; 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 3–4 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; nodding; 10–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; subterete; 20–24 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 5 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 20–24 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18–20 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 7–11.5 mm long; indurate; dark brown, or black; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex scabrous; surmounted by a ring of hairs; with this appendage 1.2 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn median; bigeniculate; 70–105 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers eventually exserted, or retained within floret.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 4–4.5 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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