Capillipedium parviflorum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–150 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; oblong; 8–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; 1(–2) fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis obsolete, or evident.

Spikelets in threes, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster, or 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 1.5 mm long; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); glabrous, or ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2-keeled; keeled obtusely. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface concave; scabrous. Upper glume ovate; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1–1.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS 2 intercarinal veins.

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