Piptochaetium featherstonei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 10–35 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform; convolute; 3–15 cm long; 1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 2.5–4 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 6–6.5 mm long; hyaline; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface papillose; pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn eccentric; bigeniculate; 10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Gr Peru 1995.

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