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.

Orinus anomala

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms erect; 37–50 cm long; 1 mm diam.; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades erect; involute; 7–12 cm long; 2–3.5 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 3.5–4 cm long; bearing 7–9 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 10 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.6–1.2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5 mm long; pubescent; hairy above.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined, or 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous; pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex emarginate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3; linear; 2 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Keng 1996.

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