Homolepis

Homolepis is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to tropical South America. It includes 7 described species and of these, only 3 accepted.

Description

They are perennial plants; with generally decumbent or stoloniferous stems; compressed knots; hermaphrodite or polygamous plants. keeled pods; pseudoligule very short present, ligule a membrane; blades linear to linear-lanceolate, flattened. Inflorescence a terminal panicle; spikelets lanceoloide or obovoid, dorsally compressed, with 2 florets, disarticulated below glumes, spikelet deciduous as a unit; glumes concealing florets, subequal or lower glume slightly longer than upper, margins covering margins of second, lower glume 5–9-veined, upper glume 5–9-veined; lower floret usually sterile, rarely staminate; lower lemma 5–7-vein; lower palea small, membranaceous; upper floret bisexual, ellipsoid; upper lemma chartaceous, acute to acuminate, inconspicuously veined, glabrous and shiny, the margins thin, flattened, overlapping palea margins; superior palea similar in texture to superior lemma; lodicules 2; stamens 3; stigmas 2. Fruit a caryopsis; embryo 1/4–1/2 length of spikelet; linear thread.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Mary Agnes Chase and published in Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 24: 146. 1911. The type species is: Homolepis aturensis (Kunth) Chase

Cytology

The chromosome number is 2n = 22, 24, and 40.

Accepted species

The following is a list of the species of the genus Homolepis accepted up to April 2014, arranged alphabetically. For each one, the binomial name followed by the author is indicated, abbreviated according to conventions and uses.

• Homolepis aturensis (Kunth) Chase
• Homolepis isocalycina (G.Mey.) Chase
• Homolepis longispicula (Döll) Chase