Poaceae
Arthraxon

Arthraxon echinatus (Nees) Hochst.

First published in Flora 39: 188 (1856)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. India, Nepal, China (Yunnan). It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical 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]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20-60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths 1-2.25 cm long; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5-3.5 cm long; 5-12 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1-5; single, or paired, or digitate; 2-4 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 3.5-3.75 mm long. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 0.6-0.75 mm long; villous.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; 4-4.5 mm long; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes keeled; scabrous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5.5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate; attached transversely. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; 4-4.5 mm long; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes keeled; scabrous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5.5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate; attached transversely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface convex; spinose; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2.5-3 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4-5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 10-12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Patunkar 1993.
[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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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