| Description : |
Tufted annual herbs. Culms 9.5-34 cm high, decumbent, smooth; nodes pubescent, basal ones rooting. Leaf blade shortly ovate-lanceolate, 1.2-3 x 0.4-0.6 cm, acute at apex, more or less rounded to semiamplexicaul at base, scabrid to hairy on both sides, margins thick, more or less wavy, finely serrulate; ligule ovate, ca. 0.8 mm, membranous with fimbriate apex; leaf sheath keeled towards apex, 1.2-3 cm, nerves prominent, tuberculate hairy dorsally. Inflorescence of 2-4 subdigitate racemes; peduncle 2.5-12 cm, sparsely hairy, greenish. Racemes short, 1-3 cm, greenish purple. Spikelets paired, falling entire along with rachis joint and reduced pedicel (pedicelled spikelets not developed anywhere on raceme); sessile spikelets laterally compressed, peidcelled spikelets reduced to short pedicel only; callus bearded; joints solid, 1.8-2.2 mm, slender, alternate, hairy, hairs ca. 1.8 mm; pedicel ca. 1 mm, tip hairy, white. Sessile spikelet ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 2.8-3.5 x ca. 0.7 mm, acuminate or obtuse with rounded base, awned, purplish green to brownish at maturity. Lower glumes ovate-lanceolate, 2.5-3.5 x ca. 0.8 mm, acuminate to obtuse, dorsally rounded, subcoriaceous, purplish green, 5-7 nerved with scabrid spicules above middle; margins inrolled. Upper glume ovate-lanceolate, 3-3.4 x ca. 0.6 mm, acute to acuminate, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, sparsely long hairy, greenish purple, 3-nerved, more or less 1-keeled towards apex, keel scabrid. Florets 2. Lower lemma ovate-lanceolate, ca. 2 x 0.7 mm, acute, membranous to chartaceous, hyaline to purple tinged at apex, more or less glabrous, nerveless. Lower palea absent. Upper lemma ovate-lanceolate, 1.6-3.2 x 0.4-0.6 mm, more or less folded, acute to acuminate, chartaceous, hyaline, faintly 0-2 nerved, at times 1-keeled, awned; awn basifixed, geniculate, column twisted, 3-3.6 mm, rugose, bristle 3.5-4 mm, barbellate. Upper palea absent. Lodicules 2, truncate, ca. 0.3 mm, membranous, hyaline. Stamens 2, brown; anthers 0.4-0.6 mm; filaments 0.3-0.4 mm. Ovary oblong-elliptic, ca. 0.3 x 0.2 mm, acute, greenish; style ca. 0.4 mm, green; stigma plumose, ca. 0.4 mm, brown. Caryopsis oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 1.6-2 x 0.4-0.6mm, acute, greenish brown, embryo at base. |