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 piccae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths pubescent. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms robust; 70–110 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes 18–30 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths 10–33 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 0.5–47 cm long; 4–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; with 1–3 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle 40–70 cm long; scaberulous above; glabrous.

Racemes 8–24; digitate; unilateral; 7–27 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–15 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial. Raceme-bases brief; pubescent.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Pedicels oblong, or reduced to a stump; 0–2.5 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.2–2.9 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; falling entire. Floret callus glabrous, or pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume margins scaberulous (above).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1.1 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; pubescent. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.9–2.4 mm long; 0.7–0.9 mm wide; indurate; yellow; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface papillose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.3 mm long. Anthers 3; 0.7–1 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Gir.-Canas 2004.

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