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.

Germainia thorelii

HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent. Culms slender; 30–50 cm long; 5–11 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1.5–2.5 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; 1–1.3 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis obsolete (raceme capitate).

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 3–3.2 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; oblong; dorsally compressed; 10–11 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; 7–9 -veined (lower); dentate (lateral teeth 1–3.5mm long); truncate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; enclosed by glumes; 8–10 mm long; entire; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–7 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus linear; 2 mm long; base pungent; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 6–7 mm long; 1.2 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 65 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Chaianan.

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