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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.
Imperata condensata
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Butt sheaths purple; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–60 cm long; 1–4 -noded. Culm-internodes purple; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2–4 mm long; pilose on abaxial surface; entire, or lacerate. Leaf-blades erect; linear, or lanceolate; 10–12 cm long; 4–11 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.
Panicle spiciform; linear; 7–13 cm long; 1.5–2 cm wide.
Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis tough; subterete. Rhachis internodes filiform.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal; 0.5–2 mm long; tip discoid.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 4–5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 9–12 mm long; 2 length of spikelet.
GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3–4 -veined. Lower glume surface villous; hairy below. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface villous; hairy below.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; oblong; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliate on margins; erose; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex erose.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Pat 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
