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 littoralis

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 5–20 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–3 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; erose, or lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1–8 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous, or papillose. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; deciduous as a whole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle scaberulous above; fracturing.

Panicle open; elliptic; 3–12 cm long; 0.5–8.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous.

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; (2.5–)3–4(–6) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent. Floret callus hairs 0.3–0.5 mm long; 0.2 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, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; (2.5–)3–4(–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, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 1.8–2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex truncate; awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 3–6 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Rhachilla extension 0.2–1 mm long; pilose; with 0.5–1.5 mm long hairs.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; linear; 0.7 mm long; membranous; acute. Anthers 3; 0.4–0.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1–1.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Aveneae. Edgar 1997.

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