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.

Glyphochloa forficulata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–20 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–14 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Peduncle hirsute above.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated. Spikelet packing abaxial. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 2.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with hairy rim.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly; flattened.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; oblong; asymmetrical; 5.5–8 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; winged on keels; 5–7 -veined; acuminate; awned; both glumes awned; with 8–12 mm long awn. 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; 6–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged broadly; winged above; 5–6 -veined. Lower glume primary vein eciliate, or pectinately spinose. Lower glume surface rugose; glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 2 -awned. Lower glume awn 5–8 mm long. Upper glume elliptic; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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