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.

Axonopus caulescens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Stolons present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths 3–5 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; persistent, or deciduous at the ligule (lower leaves); flat, or conduplicate; 3–5 cm long; 2.5–3 mm wide; firm. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; soon splitting, or simple.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; with 1–3 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle 10–35 cm long.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; ascending; unilateral; 3–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–1 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3 mm wide; glabrous on surface; smooth on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; 5–5.5 spikelets per cm. Raceme-bases brief; pilose.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 2.3–2.7 mm long; 0.6–0.8 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume 1 length of spikelet; membranous; dark brown; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with an apical beard. Upper glume hairs 0.5 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; 1 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; dark brown; 5–7 -veined; puberulous; hairy between veins. Fertile lemma 2.3–2.7 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Black 1994.

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