Thrasya scandens

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 60–90 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 8–18 cm long; 4–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1(–2); single, or paired; unilateral; 4–11 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; folded longitudinally to embrace spikelets; 1 mm wide; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing alternately adaxial and abaxial; regular; 1 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 1.6–1.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3 mm long; 0.15–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5 mm long; coriaceous; pallid; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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