Zygochloa paradoxa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending; 100–150 cm long; 4–8 mm diam.; woody. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–30 cm long; 2–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Synflorescence compound; globose; 2.5–3.5 cm long. Inflorescence comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1 fertile spikelets; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole expanded (3 bracts); ovate (toothed); 1–2 cm long; scarious. Peduncle disarticulating; disarticulating below uppermost sheaths.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Male spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 6–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–10 mm long; indurate; yellow; shiny; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 4–4.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 3 mm long.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female; a spathate compound head. Male spikelets similar to female but less developed; 2 flowered; lanceolate; 7–8 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Vickery.

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