Glyphochloa veldkampii

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–50 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes 1–11 cm long. Culm-nodes swollen; pallid, or brown. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths 1.5–5.5 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base truncate. Leaf-blades 6–12 cm long; 9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 5–9 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 6–14 cm long; pilose above; widened at apex.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 4.5–7 cm long; 5 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing abaxial. Rhachis internodes oblong; 2.5–3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly; flattened; 2.5–3 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; ovate; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; keeled; winged on keels; caudate; awned; one glume awned (lower); with 10–12 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; 2.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; indurate; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; 9–10 -veined (below transverse ridge). Lower glume primary vein smooth, or with pectinate knobs (1–2 lateral knobs). Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface rugose (1 ridge near base); glabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex awned. Lower glume awn 9 mm long. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 3 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Palea 1.75 mm long; hyaline.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ovate; 0.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 1.2–1.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fonseca & Janarth 2013.

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