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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Coelorachis balansae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 200–350 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; solid. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base tapering to the midrib. Leaf-blades 60–120 cm long; 5–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 1; single; 7–10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 4–5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; angular; 4–5 mm long; tip cupuliform.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; oblong; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes winged on keels. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; winged on keel; winged above. Lower glume surface convex; smooth. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume oblong; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; hyaline; without keel; 0–1 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea hyaline.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Quarin.

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