Poaceae
Lasiorhachis

Lasiorhachis hildebrandtii (Hack.) Stapf

First published in Hooker's Icon. Pl. 32: t. 3124 (1927)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. & Central Madagascar. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 90-120 cm long; 2-3 -noded. Culm-internodes solid. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades 20-40 cm long; 8-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 15-25 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent. Racemes 1.5-8 cm long; bearing 10-30 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4-5 mm long. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled, or sessile; 1-2 in the cluster; subequal, or the upper smaller. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 0-1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 4-5 mm long; ciliate.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, or well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base truncate. Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary, or well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; hyaline; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; flexuous; 1.5-2 mm long overall. Palea 0.25-0.5 length of lemma; hyaline.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: western Indian ocean.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0