Sacciolepis striata

HABIT Perennial. Stolons absent, or present. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 100–200 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hispid; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 8–20 cm long; 6–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 8–25 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; gibbous; 3.6–4.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; gibbous; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; ribbed; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; coriaceous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Texas 1993.

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