Schizachyrium pseudeulalia

HABIT Annual. Culms 40–90 cm long; 0.2–0.35 mm diam.; 7–12 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous, or with pubescent line. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–1.3 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1.5–9 cm long; 0.8–5.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous; glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear; 2–4.5 cm long. Peduncle 0.3–2 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 1.5–5 cm long; 0.6–1.4 mm wide; bearing 5–10 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on surface, or pilose on surface; glabrous on margins, or ciliate 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; glabrous, or ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; comprising 2 unequal glumes without lemmas; linear; 1–1.7 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with 3–14 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4–8 mm long; 0.7–1 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus 0.5–0.7 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; attached obliquely; with circular scar. Spikelet callus hairs 1.2–2.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 3–5 in number. Lower glume surface convex; asperulous; rough above; glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface scabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.6–0.8 length of spikelet; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.9 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 11–30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4.5–9 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 0.4–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong, or ovoid; 2–3 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: northwestern.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Blake 1994.

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