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 panicoides

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base simple, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 9–10 cm long; 3.5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal, or terminal and axillary.

Panicle open; ovate; 20–35 cm long. Primary panicle branches 6–12 cm long; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets ascending; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; angular; 8–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 9–10 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings adnate to lemma; these appendages 3–5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 7–11 -veined. Upper glume surface villous; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex caudate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; 1-keeled; 7–11 -veined; villous; hairy at apex; caudate. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 4–6 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute; ciliolate. Lemma apex acuminate; pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Paniceae. Stieber.

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