Whiteochloa capillipes

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths pubescent, or pilose. Culms 60–105 cm long; 4–6 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes constricted; purple; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose, or hirsute; with simple hairs, or tubercle-based hairs; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.25 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose, or hirsute. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle glabrous, or pilose above, or hirsute above.

Panicle open; ovate; 16–25 cm long; 5–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 7–14 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous, or pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 6–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 2.25–3 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation slender.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.3–0.3 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; scarious; fenestrate (at base); 5 -veined; sulcate; smooth, or scaberulous; rough at apex; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.75–2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1–1.5 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Lazarides 1993.

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