Oropetium villosulum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 1–5 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 1–3 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; bilateral; 1.5 cm long. Rhachis tough; subcylindrical and excavated. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets sunken; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes two, or one the lower absent or obscure; deciduous; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0–1 mm long; 0–0.5 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 2 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy above. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea surface pilose.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.33 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Bor.

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