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Descriptions

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

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

Sorghastrum balansae

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 120–260 cm long; 3–4 mm diam.; with prop roots. Leaf-sheaths 20–35 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–45 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle 30–65 cm long.

Panicle open; lanceolate; dense, or loose; 10–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle axis glabrous.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets; 1 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 3–5 mm long; pubescent.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–7.8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; pubescent; base acute.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4–6.5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins; dentate; 2 -fid. Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 50–75 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Davila 1993.

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