Poaceae
Arundinella

Arundinella leptochloa (Nees ex Steud.) Hook.f.

First published in Fl. Brit. India 7: 76 (1896)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is India, Sri Lanka. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 100-200 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10-60 cm long; 5-35 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Peduncle glabrous. Panicle open; elliptic, or oblong; 20-45 cm long; 10-20 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 5-15 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches bearing congested spikelets; scabrous; bearded in axils. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.5-3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.5-3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5-3 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 2.5-3.5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1 mm long; chartaceous; light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire; obtuse; muticous. Palea with auriculate flaps; chartaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Arundinelleae. Bor 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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44393000/44488205

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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 2026. 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 2026. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images