Piptochaetium panicoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–40 cm long; 3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; 0.5 mm long on basal shoots; bilobed. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 5–15 cm long; 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 3 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–12 cm long; 1 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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; pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; laterally compressed; gibbous; 1.8–2.5 mm long; indurate; dark brown, or black; keeled; lightly keeled. Lemma surface smooth, or papillose. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn eccentric; geniculate; 10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FLOWER Lodicules 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; laterally compressed. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

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

NOTES Stipeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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