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.

Centotheca longilamina

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.75 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; (8–)17–29.5(–35) cm long; (10–)13–30(–35) mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 10–42 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 5.5–22 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed, or subterete; 4–5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with the pedicel.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume oblong; 2–3.5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets all alike, or with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma glabrous, or hairy. Fertile lemma oblong; 3.25–3.75 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface hispid (retrorsely); with reflexed hairs. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous. Palea oblanceolate; 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; ovate; 0.5 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate. Anthers 2; 1–1.25 mm long.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation occurs.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Centotheceae. Veldkamp 2013.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Leaf length/width ratio 6.3–19.6.

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