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.

Whiteochloa biciliata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 45–105 cm long; 6 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes constricted; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or pilose, or hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–10(–19) cm long; 2–3(–5) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous to hispid. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 8–14 cm long; 3–9 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 5–11 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1.5–12 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 2.5–3.75 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation slender.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliate. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on veins. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; scarious; 5 -veined; sulcate; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.75–2.25 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate. Palea indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.5–2 mm long; dark brown.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Lazarides 1993.

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