GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Apocopis wrightii

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 30–60 cm long; wiry; 6–7 -noded. Lateral branches ample; arising from lower culm. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear; 8–12 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; 3–5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs tawny. Rhachis internodes linear; 1.5–2 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels adnate at the base to lower glume of sessile spikelet; linear; ciliate; with tawny hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 1 in number.

Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs tawny.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or obovate; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above (and red-brown); light green; without keels. Lower glume primary vein falling short of apex. Lower glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex; all falling short of apex. Lower glume surface glabrous, or hispid. Lower glume apex erose; truncate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical, or from a sinus; geniculate; 20–30 mm long overall; with twisted column.

FLOWER Anthers 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Anomochloeae. Fl China 2004.

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