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.

Phacelurus trichophyllus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Lateral branches ample; arising from upper culm. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hispid; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.8–1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; flat; 10–20 cm long; 5–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hispid; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; 10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes columnar; with the lower often bearing triads. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, or well-developed; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 0.3–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate to ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface convex, or flat; scabrous; rough at apex. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Sun 2004.

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