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Descriptions

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

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

Schizachne purpurascens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 35–50 cm long; 0.7–1.5 mm diam.; 3–5 -noded. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.25–0.5 of their length closed. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 5–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–10 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; lanceolate; nodding; 5–8 cm long; 1–2 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 3–15 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long. Floret callus evident; bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.2 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–5 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5–8 mm long; 0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–11 mm long; herbaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 12–20 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea oblong; 0.6 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, China, and eastern Asia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Meliceae. Koyama.

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