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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; reed-like; 200–600 cm long. Culm-internodes thin-walled. Leaves cauline. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades drooping; 20–80 cm long; 10–70 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; oblong; 30–60 cm long. Primary panicle branches profusely divided. Panicle branches scaberulous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–7 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pilose; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–12 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma hairs 5–8 mm long. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 0.5–0.7 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 2 mm long. Embryo 1 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, northeast tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Arundineae. FTA.
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