Poaceae
Arundinella

Arundinella metzii Hochst. ex Miq.

First published in Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam, ser. 3, 4: 31 (1851)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Indian Subcontinent. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 10-100 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths hispid; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10-40 cm long; 3-9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Peduncle glabrous, or pilose above. Panicle open; oblong; 20-50 cm long; 10-25 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 5-15 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. 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 lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-2.5 mm long; 0.5-0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough on veins; glabrous, or pilose; hairy between veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.75-4.25 mm long; 2.5-4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy between veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume apex caudate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1.75-2.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 3 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1-2 mm long. Palea with auriculate flaps; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.6-1 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. 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]

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