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Descriptions

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

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

Echinolaena inflexa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms decumbent; 20–50(–100) cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (representing a rudimentary axis extension).

Racemes 1; single; spreading; unilateral; 1–5 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; puberulous on surface; ciliate on margins.

Spikelets pectinate; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 0–1 in the cluster.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 5.5–8.5 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings adnate to lemma; these appendages 1–1.5 mm long (slender).

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.25 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface setose; hairy between veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume ovate; 4.5–7 mm long; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface setose; hairy above. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–4.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea indurate.

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

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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