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.

Tripogon velliangiriensis

HABIT Annual, or perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths withering, or persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10–25 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths 5–8 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–20 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; shorter than basal leaves.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 7–12 cm long. Rhachis flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 11 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.5–2.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–9.5 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–2.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 8–8.5 mm long; 1 mm wide; cartilaginous; grey; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 4–4.5 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 10.5–12 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 1.5–2 mm long. Palea elliptic; 3–3.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.35–0.4 mm long; irregularly toothed. Anthers 3; 0.7–0.9 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; 0.4–0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Murugesan & Balasub. 2009.

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