GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Anthoxanthum

HABIT Annual (4), or perennial (46). Rhizomes absent (21), or short (8), or elongated (21). Culms erect (19/25), or geniculately ascending (7/25), or decumbent (3/25), or rambling (2/25); robust (1/6), or slender (2/6), or weak (3/6); 5–48.66–130 cm long; firm (49), or wiry (1). Lateral branches lacking (15/17), or sparse (3/17), or ample (1/17). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (49), or erect (1). Ligule an eciliate membrane (47), or a ciliolate membrane (2), or a ciliate membrane (1). Leaf-blades persistent (49), or deciduous at the ligule (1); filiform (2), or linear (47), or lanceolate (2); herbaceous (49), or coriaceous (1); stiff (6), or firm (41), or flaccid (3); without exudate (49), or pruinose (1); without scent (19), or aromatic (31). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (49), or with distinct cross veins (1). Leaf-blade surface with rounded ribs (1/4), or rectangular ribs (3/4). Leaf-blade apex muticous (48), or pungent (2).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes (1).

Panicle open (23), or contracted (15), or spiciform (15).

Racemes single (1/1); lanceolate (1/1); paucilateral (1/1).

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong (8/8).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate (15), or elliptic (16), or oblong (11), or ovate (7), or obovate (1), or cuneate (5); laterally compressed; 2.49–6.044–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (45), or elongated between basal sterile florets (1), or elongated below proximal fertile floret (5). Floret callus glabrous (1/5), or pubescent (2/5), or pilose (2/5).

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet (15), or reaching apex of florets (19), or exceeding apex of florets (29); thinner than fertile lemma; parallel to lemmas (44), or gaping (6). Lower glume lanceolate (4), or elliptic (4), or ovate (41), or obovate (2); 0.5–0.8446–1 length of upper glume; hyaline (7), or membranous (40), or chartaceous (1), or herbaceous (1), or scarious (1); without keels (1), or 1-keeled (49); 1 -veined (25/47), or 2 -veined (3/47), or 3 -veined (25/47), or 4–5 -veined (1/47). Lower glume lateral veins absent (23), or distinct (28). Lower glume surface without pits; glabrous (49), or pubescent (1). Lower glume apex obtuse (13/48), or acute (32/48), or acuminate (9/48); muticous (47), or mucronate (4). Upper glume lanceolate (8), or elliptic (6), or oblong (3), or ovate (31), or oblate (1), or obovate (3); 0.5–1.873–4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline (6), or membranous (41), or chartaceous (1), or herbaceous (1), or scarious (1); with undifferentiated margins (43), or hyaline margins (2), or scarious margins (5); without keels (1), or 1-keeled (49); 1 -veined (5/47), or 2 -veined (3/47), or 3 -veined (45/47). Upper glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliolate (1). Upper glume surface smooth (49), or asperulous (1); glabrous (49), or pubescent (1). Upper glume apex obtuse (13/48), or acute (34/48), or acuminate (7/48); muticous (46), or mucronate (5).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male (34), or barren (16); with palea (36), or without significant palea (14). Lemma of lower sterile floret linear (1), or lanceolate (2), or elliptic (22), or oblong (26); 0.9–1.298–2.8 length of fertile lemma; membranous (14), or chartaceous (33), or scarious (2), or coriaceous (1); 3–4 -veined (2/39), or 5 -veined (38/39); emarginate (5/45), or truncate (4/45), or obtuse (36/45), or acute (3/45); muticous (13), or mucronate (25), or awned (24). Fertile florets bisexual (40), or female (11). Fertile lemma lanceolate (1), or elliptic (3), or oblong (11), or ovate (31), or orbicular (9); membranous (2), or chartaceous (1), or cartilaginous (47); without keel (49), or keeled (1); wingless; 3 -veined (5/33), or 4 -veined (4/33), or 5 -veined (32/33), or 6–7 -veined (1/33). Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (49), or scaberulous (1); eciliate, or ciliolate (1). Lemma lateral veins obscure (18/18). Lemma surface smooth (44), or scaberulous (3), or scabrous (3); unwrinkled; without grooves; glabrous (28), or puberulous (4), or pubescent (17), or pilose (2); without hair tufts (49), or with conspicuous apical hairs (1). Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea; eciliate (46), or ciliolate (2), or ciliate (2). Lemma apex emarginate (5/44), or truncate (1/44), or obtuse (16/44), or acute (24/44); without ornament (48), or pubescent (2); muticous (41), or mucronate (13), or awned (1). Principal lemma awn apical (8/13), or subapical (5/13). Palea 0.8–0.9625–1 length of lemma; 1 -veined (42/44), or 2–3 -veined (1/44); without keels (42), or 1-keeled (7), or 2-keeled (1). Palea apex dentate (1/1).

FLOWER Lodicules absent (18/31), or 2 (13/31). Anthers 2 (44), or 3 (33). Stigmas 2 (19/19); plumose (24), or sparsely hairy (1), or pubescent (25). Ovary unappendaged (49), or beaked (1); glabrous (29/29).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (49/49); lanceolate (1/10), or fusiform (1/10), or ellipsoid (7/10), or oblong (1/10), or obovoid (1/10). Embryo 0.25–0.385–0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform (18/21), or linear (3/21).

DISTRIBUTION Europe (11), or Africa (9), or Temperate Asia (18), or Tropical Asia (10), or Australasia (12), or Pacific (1), or North America (8), or South America (10), or Antarctica (2).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.