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.

Chionachne hubbardiana

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; robust; 30–100 cm long. Culm-internodes channelled; distally hispid. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths hispid; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades 15–40 cm long; 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; spinulose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Synflorescence compound. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole lanceolate; 4–6 cm long. Peduncle widened at apex.

Racemes 1; single; 3–5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 5–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Rhachis internodes linear; 5 mm long; bearing a sterile companion laterally. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform.

Sexes segregated; on bisexual branches; with male above; with 2–6 male spikelets per branch. Spikelets embracing internode; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in a cluster. Pedicels of companion sterile spikelets fused to internode; united wholly.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 9–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 9–11 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; pallid; 2-keeled; keeled above; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged broadly; winged above. Lower glume surface not waisted. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume ovate; cartilaginous. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; hyaline. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; with pedicels fused to rhachis; 2 flowered; lanceolate; 7 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Henrard.

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