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.

Arundinella leptochloa

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 100–200 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–60 cm long; 5–35 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; elliptic, or oblong; 20–45 cm long; 10–20 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 5–15 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches bearing congested spikelets; scabrous; bearded in axils.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1 mm long; chartaceous; light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire; obtuse; muticous. Palea with auriculate flaps; chartaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinelleae. Bor 1993.

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