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.

Diarrhena mandshurica

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 60–120 cm long; 1.8–3 mm diam.; 5–6 -noded. Culm-internodes 6–15 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; entire, or erose; truncate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13–30 cm long; 6–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 12–22 cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2 -nate; simple; 3–7 cm long; bearing 2–7 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 4.5–6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1(–3) -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 4.2–5 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 3(–5) -veined. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates. Lemma surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; exposed between gaping lemma and palea at maturity; 4 mm long; dark brown; apex umbonate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, China, and eastern Asia.

NOTES Diarrheneae. Koyama.

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