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.

Miscanthus ecklonii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Culms erect; 100–400 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blade base tapering to the midrib, or simple. Leaf-blades 20–90 cm long; 4–15(–25) mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or oblong; 20–45 cm long.

Racemes 1–7 cm long. Rhachis tough; subterete. Rhachis internodes filiform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; pilose. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.9 length of spikelet; hyaline; 1 -veined; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1–2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1–3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or geniculate; 2–8 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FZ.

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