Microstegium eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) A.Camus

Chen, H., Veldkamp, J. - F. & Kuoh, C. - S., 2012, Taxonomic revision of Microstegium s. str. Andropogoneae, Poaceae), Blumea 57 (2), pp. 160-189 : 167-169

5. Microstegium eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) A.Camus — Fig. 4 ; Map 5

Microstegium eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) A. Camus (1921) 200; Henrard (1940) 455, isonym. — Pollinia eucnemis Nees ex Steud. (1854b) 409. — Eulalia eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) Kuntze (1891) 775. — [ Pogonatherum glabratum (Brongn.) Roberty subvar. eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) Roberty (1960) 388,nom.inval.]. — Type: Akkul Mahmud in Wallich Cat. 8812 (holo B, lost?; CAL, G, K, microfiche IDC 7394).

Annuals or perennials, mat-forming to caespitose. Culms geniculate to erect, robust, 90–150 cm long, rooting in the decumbent nodes. Nodes glabrous. Sheaths glabrous, outer margin glabrous, oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–2 mm long. Blades elliptic, 10–25 cm by 10–25 mm, firm, margins scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous or moderately pilose on both sides with tubercle-based hairs. Panicles 5 –12 cm long, common axis c. 1 cm long. Racemes 3–25, digitate, ascending, straight, 5–9 cm long. Rachis angular, margins ciliate, internodes pyriform, 3.5–4.5 mm long. Sessile spikelets oblong to lanceolate, 3.5–4 mm long, callus pilose or setose. Lower glume oblong to lanceolate, chartaceous, midrib ciliate, dorsally longitudinally grooved, smooth, glabrous, margins glabrous, apex acute, entire. Upper glume elliptic, back acute, glabrous, midrib glabrous, apex acute, mucro 0.5–4 mm long. Lower florets well-developed, paleate to epaleate. Lower lemma lanceolate, c. 4.5 mm long. Upper lemma elliptic, 1.25–1.5 mm long, veined, apex incised to 0.5th of the lemma length, awn from a sinus, geniculate, column twisted, (incl. column) 15–18 mm long. Upper palea obovate, c. 1.25 mm long, as long as the lemma, hyaline. Anthers 3, 3–3.5 mm long. Pedicels broadly clavate, V-shaped, c. 3 mm long, margins pubescent. Pedicelled spikelets variously reduced.

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Distribution — N India, S India (disjunct!), Nepal, Lower Burma (frequent), Thailand (SE: Chanthaburi), Laos (Savan- nakhet), Malesia: Philippines (Luzon), SW Celebes, Lesser Sunda Islands ( Flores, Timor, Wetar), reported for the Vogelkop ( Ohwi 1942b) but specimen not seen.

Habitat — Thickets, open Arundinaria woodland, sandy soil (pH 5.5–6.0), at low altitude.

Collector’s notes — Perennial. Compact erect tussocks, 1.1–1.5 m, rather high and branched. Foliage harsh to the touch. Inflorescence purplish.

Uses — Heavily grazed.

Notes — ‘ eucnemis ’ is a noun not to be declined (with a beautiful shin plate: perhaps referring to the swollen joints).

Distribution disjunct.

Figures

Fig. 4 Microstegium eucnemis (Nees ex Steud.) A.Camus. a. Habit; b. spikelets; c. lower glume; d. upper glume; e. lower lemma; f. upper lemma with awn; g. upper palea; h. stamens; i. joint of leaf sheath and leaf blade (all: Raizada s.n., K).