Mnesithea laevis (Retz.) Kunth

Veldkamp, J. F., Heidweiller, J., Klaauw, M. A. F. van der, Koning, R. de, Kraaijeveld, A. R., Sosef, M. S. M. & Strucker, R. C. W., 2013, A revision of Mnesithea (Gramineae - Rottboelliinae) in Malesia and Thailand, Blumea 58 (3), pp. 277-292 : 284

7. Mnesithea laevis (Retz.) Kunth

For the synonymy see under the varieties.

Plants perennial. Culms 0.2–1.2 m long. Cataphylls ovate to ovate-oblong, 2–15 by 0.6–2.5 mm, glabrous, apex acute. Nodes glabrous to setose. Sheaths glabrous to sparsely hairy, margin glabrous to pilose. Ligule 0.2–1.8 mm long, margin setose. Contra-ligule absent. Blades flat to folded, 9 – 35 cm by 0.6–4.8 mm, margins at base glabrous or pectinate, glabrous to hairy above, glabrous to setose behind the ligule, smooth. Peduncles 1–4 together, glabrous to hairy. Spatheoles 3.5–6.5 cm long, blade present. Spikes 2.5–10 cm by 1.5–3 mm. Spikelets in pairs or triads. Joints 4.4–6.5 mm long, glabrous, smooth. Sessile spikelets : spikelet 4–5.6 mm long (incl. the glabrous callus), shorter than the joint; lower glume flat to convex, ovate-oblong, glabrous, coriaceous, smooth, laterally without small appendages or sculptured, with longitudinal lines of minute dots, greenish yellow, 4–7-nerved, apex rounded, winged or not; upper glume boat-shaped to concave, ovate-oblong, 3.9–5.1 mm long, glabrous, 2–4-nerved, nerves not anastomosing, margin infolded, apex obtuse to acute; lemmas ovate-oblong, glabrous, apex rounded to acute; first lemma epaleate, 3.8–4.2 mm long, 3–4-nerved; second lemma 2–3-nerved; paleas 2–3-nerved, glabrous; second palea ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 2.7–3.6 mm long; anthers 1.6–2.5 mm long. Pedicel adnate to the joint, 4.4–5.8 mm long, glabrous. Pedicelled spikelets reduced to 1 small scale, laterally flattened, 0.2–0.8 mm long.