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.

Loudetia flammida

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 120–300 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 35–60 cm long; 6–12 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 25–60 cm long.

Spikelets solitary, or in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; glabrous; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; flexuous; flat below; 15–20 mm long overall; without a column; persistent. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

FLOWER Anthers 2; anther tip smooth.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Arundinelleae. Gr Bahia.

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