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.

Bothriochloa erianthoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 80–150 cm long. Culm-internodes channelled. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5–4 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 7–30 cm long; 5–8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–5; digitate; 6–10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; villous on surface; villous on margins. Rhachis internodes oblong. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; flattened; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); villous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; linear; 3–4 mm long; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes 7 -veined; without depressions; villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 7–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 7–8 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 9–18 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; without pits; villous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; pubescent; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with linear lobes; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight; 16–18 mm long overall; without a column. Palea present; obovate; 2 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl NSW 1993.

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