Uranthoecium truncatum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 30–40 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; in a bilateral false spike; appressed; oblong; unilateral; 0.8–1.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 7–15 cm long; flattened; disarticulating at nodes. Rhachis angular; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing abaxial; crowded.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 3–4 mm long; 0.25 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; 2-keeled (above); 7–9 -veined; sulcate; caudate. Palea of lower sterile floret becoming indurate on keels at maturity; winged on keels. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–5 mm long; indurate; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex rostrate. Palea indurate; 2 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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