Spodiopogon aristatus

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; slender; 40–80 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 4–10 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; 3–8 cm long; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole; petiole 1–8 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or elliptic; 5–15 cm long; 15–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface hispid; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme; terminal and axillary.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; equilateral; 5–12 cm long.

Racemes 3–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 3–4 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels clavate; flattened; 4–4.5 mm long; villous; with 4–5 mm long hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 8–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 6–7 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 6–7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume ovate; 8–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume primary vein conspicuous; ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–3 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, or oblong; 5–5.5 mm long; 0.6 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; dentate; 2 -fid. Palea of lower sterile floret hyaline; 4–4.5 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 5–5.5 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; hyaline. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 18–22 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Stigmas 2; purple; plumose.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; laterally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Desai & Raole 2012.

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