Schizachyrium hatschbachii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 100–150 cm long; 2–4.5 mm diam. Culm-internodes solid; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample; arising from upper culm. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 30–150(–170) cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear; 2.5–4 cm long. Peduncle 0.5–1 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 3–3.5 cm long; bearing 8–11 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate; 3–3.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 2.5 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; comprising 2 unequal glumes without lemmas; linear; 2–3 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with 1.5–3 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.5 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled frontally; 2 -veined. Lower glume surface flat, or concave; asperulous. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.2–3.5 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 2.5 mm long; incised 0.8 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–10(–12) mm long overall; with 4–5.5 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4–4.5 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 0.6–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Peichoto 2007.

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