Poaceae
Tripsacum

Tripsacum latifolium Hitchc.

First published in Bot. Gaz. 41: 294 (1906)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Central America. 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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/101340026/173973041

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending; robust; 250-500 cm long; 5-10 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blades 30-90 cm long; 40-70 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Racemes 1(-3); single; ascending; straight; smoothly terete; unilateral; 10-30 cm long. Rhachis (female) fragile at the nodes; subcylindrical and excavated; 2.5-3 mm wide. Spikelet packing abaxial. Rhachis internodes oblong; 5-7 mm long; adherent to upper glume of sessile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform. Sexes segregated; on bisexual branches; with male above. Spikelets sunken; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Male spikelets sessile; 2 in a cluster.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; cartilaginous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Palea hyaline.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Male spikelets distinct from female; all deciduous together; 3-5 mm long; hairy; obtuse. Male spikelet glumes 2; coriaceous; muticous. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.
sex Male
Male spikelets distinct from female; all deciduous together; 3-5 mm long; hairy; obtuse. Male spikelet glumes 2; coriaceous; muticous.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and Caribbean.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.
[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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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