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 sagittifolius

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 2 mm diam.; 3–4 -noded. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 4–6 mm long; pilose on abaxial surface; obtuse. Leaf-blade base sagittate; with a false petiole; petiole 0.5–12 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; 12–25 cm long; 5–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–11 cm long; 3–6 cm wide; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; 2–4 cm long; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary; apically expanded; pubescent in axils.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 4 mm long; ciliate; with purple hairs; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs 1 mm long; 0.2 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; pallid; without keels; 10 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; pallid; without keels; 8 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex emarginate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; puberulous; hairy above; ciliolate on margins; dentate; 2 -fid. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; 4–5 mm long; hyaline. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with linear lobes; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 4.5 mm long; hyaline; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate. Anthers 3; 4.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Rendle 1996.

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