Poaceae
Arthraxon

Arthraxon meeboldii Stapf

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1908: 449 (1908)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is India. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms decumbent; weak; 15-20 cm long; 6-8 -noded. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 2-3.5 cm long; 10-13 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2; paired; 3-4.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 2-2.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4 mm long. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 3 mm long; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 mm long; keeled; 9 -veined. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 9.5-10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; attached transversely.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7 mm long; keeled; 9 -veined. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 9.5-10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus 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; coriaceous; 2-keeled. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 3 in number. Lower glume surface spinose, or muricate; rough on flanks. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. 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 oblong; 4.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; obtuse. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 19-22 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 7-8 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Stapf 1993.
[GB]

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: confident
[AERP]

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