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.

Duthiea oligostachya

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 15–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 10–12 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 6–12 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; pubescent. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle smooth.

Racemes 1; single; drooping; unilateral; 3–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis subterete; smooth on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2.5–3 mm long; smooth.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 1 in number; 4–12 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 16–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; clavate; obscured by lemmas; pilose. Floret callus evident; bearded; obtuse; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 6 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 14–15 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface smooth; villous; hairy below. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 35 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pilose. Palea apex muticous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; papillose. Styles 5 mm long; connate below; 1 of their length connate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Duthieeae. Bor.

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