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.

Phacelurus latifolius

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms erect; 80–130 cm long; 4–6 mm diam. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 20–40 cm long; 10–35 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–12; digitate; 10–23 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–5 cm long. Rhachis angular; glabrous on surface. Rhachis internodes columnar, or oblong; 8–15 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; flat.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels columnar, or clavate; angular.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus indistinct. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; spinulose (on keel); acute. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 9–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square, or oblong; 0.7 mm long; base truncate; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled. Lower glume primary vein spinulose. Lower glume surface flat, or concave. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein spinulose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel. Palea hyaline.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Koyama.

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