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.

Ichnanthus procurrens

HABIT Annual, or perennial. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–4 cm long; 2.5–10 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; serrulate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–8 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches simple; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches bearing congested spikelets and the terminal spikelet distant on a long pedicel; pilose.

Spikelets ascending; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; angular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings reduced to convex swellings.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose, or villous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose, or villous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Stieber.

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