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.

Ischaemum travancorense

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent, or rambling; 30–200 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–8 mm long; acute. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or elliptic; 5–30 cm long; 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; appressed back to back; 8–15 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes oblong; 4–5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 2–3 mm long; 0.5 length of internode; bearing a few hairs; hairy on margins.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; keeled; winged on keels; 13–15 -veined; scaberulous (on keel). Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged near apex; 13–15 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; rugose. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; chartaceous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; winged near apex; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume margins ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, or oblong; 5–6 mm long; membranous; 3 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; 5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; muticous, or mucronate. Palea surface papillose.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Nair 1993.

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