Schizachyrium multinervosum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms slender; 20–40 cm long. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; scarious. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 3–7 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; straight; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels clavate; 1 length of internode; ciliate; hairy at tip; hairy on one margin.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; comprising 2 unequal glumes without lemmas; lanceolate; 3 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 -veined; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; 1.75 mm wide; 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; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; keeled obtusely (below); 11–13 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface concave. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.75 length of spikelet; hyaline; ciliate on margins; fringed above. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 5–7 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Nash 1997.

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