Rytidosperma telematicum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms (2–)8–10(–20) cm long; 3–5 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths 0.5–1 cm long; wider than blade at the collar; ribbed; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 0.5–0.75 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; involute; 10–25 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex muticous, or pungent; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes; comprising 3–7 fertile spikelets. Peduncle 3–7 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; (0.5–)1–2(–3.5) cm long. Rhachis scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate; hairy all along but hairs longer above.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.3–0.7 mm long; glabrous. Floret callus 0.1–0.25 mm long; pilose; obtuse; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 0.3–0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled (weakly); 3–5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins meeting at apex. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above; puberulous; hairy above. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume linear; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled (weakly); 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins meeting at apex. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above; puberulous; hairy above. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–2.25 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins meeting above. Lemma surface with 2 transverse rows of hair tufts. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.2 mm long; muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn from a sinus. Palea 1.5–2 mm long. Palea keels scabrous; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.3 mm long; fleshy; veined; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.75 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.8–1 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Arundineae. Connor & Molloy 2007.

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