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Descriptions

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

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

Piptochaetium ruprechtianum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 80–150 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 25–40 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7–9 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 20–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes; 6–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 13–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2.5–3 mm long; pilose; with longer hairs above; pungent. Floret callus hairs 0.66 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 11–15 mm long; hyaline; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or obovate; laterally compressed; 7–8.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex scabrous; surmounted by a ring of hairs; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn eccentric; bigeniculate; 55–75 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 20–25 mm long; puberulous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.75 mm long; retained within floret.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 4 mm long. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Parodi 1995.

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