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.

Pseudodanthonia himalaica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–45 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 7 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades involute; 15–30 cm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes; comprising 1–10 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 2–9 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle branches angular.

Racemes 1; single (reduced from a panicle).

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 12–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–20 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; yellow, or dark brown; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 20–25 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with hyaline margins; yellow, or dark brown; 1-keeled; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–14 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with linear lobes; incised 0.3 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 0.6 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; obovate; membranous; obtuse. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3. Styles free to the base. Ovary pubescent all over.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Duthieeae. Bor.

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