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.

Lachnagrostis elata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–80 cm long. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–5 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 3–25 cm long; 0.4–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; deciduous as a whole. Peduncle fracturing.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 4–30 cm long; 3–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long; 0.33 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 3–3.8 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy below. Lemma margins scaberulous. Lemma apex erose; truncate; muticous (rarely), or awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5–0.9 way up back of lemma; straight, or curved; 1–5 mm long overall. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0.1–0.8 mm long; pilose; with 1 mm long hairs.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; linear; 0.6–0.9 mm long; membranous; acute. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5–1.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Aveneae. Edgar 1997.

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