Piresia sympodica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–30 cm long; wiry. Leaves cauline; 5–7 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–7 cm long; 6–12 mm wide; mid-green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each.

Sexes mixed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets sessile; 1 in a cluster. Pedicels cuneate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–8 mm long; indurate; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Palea indurate; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; separately deciduous; lanceolate; 3 mm long. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; muticous.

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

NOTES Olyreae. Fl W Indies.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Leaf midvein pubescent above.

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