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.

Ichnanthus ephemeroblepharis

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 60–120 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole, or with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 25–50 cm long; 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate, or attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets ascending; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; angular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings adnate to lemma; these appendages 1–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Stieber.

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