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.

Pariana ligulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–95 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths keeled (above); reticulately veined. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 6–10 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 6–10 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades oblong; 15–32 cm long; 30–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm. Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; drooping; oblong; multilateral; 12 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Spikelet packing distant.

Sexes mixed (in a cluster at each node). Spikelets appressed; subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets pedicelled; 5 in a cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets; with pedicels forming a cup; oblong. Pedicels fused to each other; united along margins; oblong; flattened; 4–5 mm long; puberulous; tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy at base. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy at base. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3 mm long. Stigmas 2.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; deciduous with the fertile; ovate; 5–6 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2; ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 1–2 -veined. Male spikelet lemma 5–6 mm long; 3 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Parianeae. Swallen 2001.

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