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.

Raddia portoi

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 23–45 cm long; wiry. Culm-nodes swollen (to form a lip); glabrous. Leaves cauline; 4–5 per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 3–5.5 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in different inflorescences. Inflorescence composed of racemes; axillary; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single; 1.5–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform (male), or cuneate (female).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–4 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined.

MALE Male inflorescence terminal; unlike female; a panicle (3–5cm). Male spikelets distinct from female; 1 flowered; separately deciduous; lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; glabrous. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; muticous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Olyreae. Gr Bahia.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Female inflorescence 1 per node.

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