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Descriptions

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

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

Whiteochloa airoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths woolly; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 45–100 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent, or bearded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–24 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or oblong; interrupted; 10–25 cm long; 1–10 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches simple, or moderately divided; 3–12 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–5.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 3–4 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation slender (obscure).

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex laterally pinched.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; scarious; 5 -veined; sulcate; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret winged on keels. Fertile lemma orbicular; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.75–2.25 mm long. Hilum punctiform, or elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Tothill.

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