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.

Spodiopogon depauperatus

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short; knotty; scaly. Culms erect; 60–80 cm long; 1.5–3 mm diam.; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes 4–25 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–20 cm long; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; 8–12 cm long; 1.7–3.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; 3–5 cm long.

Racemes 1–1.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3–8 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; glabrous, or ciliate; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4–5.5 mm long; 1.25–1.7 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs white; 0.2 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; pallid; without keels; 9–13 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface convex; pilose. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; pallid; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma linear; 4 mm long; hyaline. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with linear lobes; incised 0.5–0.66 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Koyama 1993.

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