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Descriptions

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

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

Pseudechinolaena polystachya

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 10–50 cm long; with aerial roots from the nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–8 cm long; 3–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–20 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing distant; irregular.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled, or sessile and pedicelled; the lower smaller (often much reduced).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 3.5–5.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate to elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; gibbous; herbaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or setose; with hooked hairs. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; fenestrate (at the base); truncate. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins convolute. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea involute; coriaceous; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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