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Taiwan Gramineae | Family List | Poaceae

Leptochloa P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 71. 1812.

千金子屬

Leptochloa chinensis

Credit: CS Kuoh

Annuals or perennials; culms erect or ascending and often rooting at base, hollow. Blades flat or inrolled, margins involute. Inflorescence composed of many slender spike-like racemes, placed on all side of main axis. Spikelets alternate, usually crowded on abaxial side of rachis, sessile to shortly pedicelled, laterally compressed, one broad side appressed to rachis, 1-several-flowered, awnless; rachilla produced or not, articulate below lemmas, joints usually stipitate, glabrous or very short-hairy; glumes persistent, convex-keeled, thinly membranous, 1-nerved; lower glume usually shorter than spikelet; upper glume larger; lemmas broadly ovate, blunt or acute, strongly convex to conduplicate, 3-nerved, lateral nerves marginal; palea as long or slightly shorter, 2-nerved; lodicules 2, minute; stamens 3, the anthers very small; styles 2, free, short, the stigmas plumose, laterally exserted. Caryopsis, free, oblong, smooth , or rugose, hilum-side grooved, the other side more or less keeled, the hilum punctiform, basal; embryo 1/3 as long as the caryopsis.

About 27 species distributed in tropical and subtropical regions.

Two species are commonly found in Taiwan.


KEY TO THE SPECIES

1 Plant body glabrous; florets 2 to 7; lowest lemma about 1.5 mm long; upper glume 1.2-2.5 mm long   Leptochloa chinensis
+ Plant body covered with tuberculate hairs; florets usually 3; lowest lemma about 1 mm long; upper glume about 1.5 mm long   Leptochloa panicea

Lower Taxa


 

Related Objects  

Flora of China  
  • Leptochloa.pdf
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