GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Rheochloa scabriflora

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 60–75 cm long; 15–18 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths 1.4–7.7 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.6–1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 1.8–2.6 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 14–30 cm long; smooth; glabrous.

Racemes 3–5; digitate; unilateral; 2.5–5.2 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5–1 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets laterally compressed; 5.4–5.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.3–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5.4–5.6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 5.2–5.3 mm long; 1.8–2.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.4–3 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex obtuse; pubescent. Palea 2.3–3.8 mm long; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.2–0.3 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; isodiametric; trigonous; 2.7–2.8 mm long; apex bicornate. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Filg 1999.

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