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 ruprechtii

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or scandent; robust; 150–1000 cm long; firm, or woody; with prop roots and rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.3–1.5 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blade base cordate; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 9–25 cm long; 20–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; dense; 8–30 cm long; 5–12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; profusely divided; 5–17 cm long.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; acuminate; 4–6 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings shrivelled to concave scars.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex caudate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute to attenuate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; smooth, or scaberulous; acute, or acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–3 mm long; indurate; 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, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Stieber.

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