Schizachyrium fragile

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 10–75 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf, or enclosed. Spatheole linear; 4–6 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 4–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform; with simple rim.

Spikelets squeezed between internode and pedicel; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; lanceolate; 1–2 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; with 3–4 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; keeled frontally; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged above; 3 -veined. Lower glume intercarinal veins obscure. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy below. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 3–4 mm long; membranous; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.9 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 5 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Tothill 1993.

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