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 veldkampii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 90 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 4 mm long; pilose on abaxial surface; acute. Leaf-blades 25 cm long; 6 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; 4–5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs on 3 margins; white; 2 mm long. Rhachis internodes clavate; 5.5 mm long; 1 length of fertile spikelet; flat and forming a U or V shape with the pedicel in rear view and with a basal circular pore between internode and pedicel. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels columnar; angular; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 12 -veined; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; 21 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume surface convex, or flat; smooth; glabrous. Upper glume ovate; coriaceous; much thinner above; 1-keeled; wingless. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 13 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Lasut 2009.

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