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 spicata

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; slender; 15–30 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–4 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 2–5 cm long; 0.75–1 cm wide. Panicle axis pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5–6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex caudate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 5–6 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 3 mm long. Palea with auriculate flaps; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.25 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Arundinelleae. Bor 1993.

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