Triraphis devia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; knotty. Butt sheaths glabrous. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; slender; 12–49 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 6.5–27.5 cm long; yellow, or purple; striate; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 3.5–5 cm long; without keel, or keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1.8–11.2 cm long; 1.2–2.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–7 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–6 cm long; 1.6–4 cm wide; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 5–18 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–12 mm long; 5–9 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5–0.8 mm long. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.5–2.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–4.3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy at base. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 3.8–4.2 mm long overall; limb retrorsely scabrous. Lateral lemma awns arising on margin of lemma; ascending; 4–5 mm long; longer than principal. Palea 4–4.5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long; yellow, or brown.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.8–3 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.25–0.33 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Filg. & Zul. 2001.

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