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Descriptions

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

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

Imperata flavida

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 70–125 cm long; 3–7 mm diam. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long; brown. Leaf-blade base simple. Leaf-blades 20–60 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 12–17 cm long; 2.5 cm wide.

Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis tough; subterete. Rhachis internodes filiform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; subterete; 3–4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 3–4 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface villous; hairy below. Lower glume margins ciliate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface villous; hairy below. Upper glume margins ciliate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; oblong; 2 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; erose. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Palea 1.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 2.5–2.8 mm long. Stigmas 2; yellow.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Phillips & Chen 2006.

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