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 copei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 15–25 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; involute; 5–20 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 6–12 cm long. Rhachis 5 mm wide; scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; distant; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1–1.8 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 5–6.5 mm long; 0.7–1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–3 mm long. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 5–10 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear, or lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins extending close to apex. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 2–2.5 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 9.5 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on outer edge of lobes; 1.8 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 3.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; ciliolate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; obovate. Anthers 1–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or ovoid; 0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Mewmaster et al 2011.

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