Polytrias indica

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 10–30 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–5 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; 2–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 3 in the cluster; all alike; 2 sessile. Pedicels linear; flattened; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; truncate; 4–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 2-keeled; keeled obtusely; 6 -veined. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 4–5 mm long; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets with vestigial lower floret. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; hyaline; firmer above (coriaceous); without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2–3 -fid; with linear lobes; incised 0.3 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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