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.

Axonopus casiquiarensis

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Stolons present; with alternating elongated and bunched internodes. Culms 24–90 cm long; 1 mm diam.; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; hollow; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaves without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths 3–12 cm long; without keel; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1–3 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.1–0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 7–60 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; with 1–2 peduncles per sheath.

Racemes 2–3(–5); paired, or digitate; erect, or ascending, or spreading; unilateral; 4–14.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0.2–3 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3–0.5 mm wide; scaberulous on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; 4–6 spikelets per cm; regular; 2 -rowed. Raceme-bases pubescent.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; obtuse; 2.7–3.7 mm long; 0.8–1.3 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface glabrous to pubescent; hairy between veins.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; 5–7 -veined; prominently veined; glabrous to pubescent; hairy between veins. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; veined. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.2 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Davidse 1996.

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