Pheidochloa vulpioides

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 20–40 cm long; wiry. Lateral branches ample. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 0.5–0.6 cm long; 0.25 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 4–18 fertile spikelets; terminal.

Panicle contracted; linear; 1–3 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 2.75–3.75 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–6 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with scarious margins; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.75–3.75 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn flexuous; 20–25 mm long overall. Palea 0.8 length of lemma; membranous; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; sulcate on hilar side; 1.5 mm long. Embryo 0.1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Eriachneae. Veldkamp.

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