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.

Spodiopogon pogonanthus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; robust; 100–200 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 7–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.

Panicle open; elliptic; 6–8 cm long; 1.5 cm wide. Panicle branches bearded in axils.

Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Rhachis internodes linear.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; inserted. Spikelet callus hairs 0.66 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; pallid; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; pallid; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma linear; 5.5–6 mm long; hyaline; 5 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea lanceolate; hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ciliate; 2-toothed. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; laterally compressed. Embryo 0.5–0.66 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Iraq.

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