Raddiella lunata

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms rambling; slender; 7–15 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes swollen; pubescent. Leaf-sheaths striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–1.5 cm long; 2.4–3.5 mm wide; membranous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, or comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1 fertile spikelets; axillary; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle 0.5–1 cm long.

Panicle 0.5–1 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Sexes segregated; with male below. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled; 1–11 in a cluster (panicle). Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; curved (lunate in profile); dorsally compressed; 1 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus square; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.2 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or ovate; 0.9 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 1 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma obovate; lunate in profile; 0.8–1 mm long; indurate; pallid, or light brown; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex rostrate. Palea 1 length of lemma; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.6–0.8 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; separately deciduous; lanceolate; 1.7–2.7 mm long; glabrous. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; muticous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Olyreae. Zul & Jud 1992.

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