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.

Calamovilfa arcuata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms 75–150 cm long; 2–5 mm diam. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths 6–15 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.2–0.7 mm long. Collar ciliate. Leaf-blades 30–85 cm long; 1.5–6.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 15–38 cm long.

Panicle open; ovate; 15–45 cm long; 8–40 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1–2 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous; pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–8 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–7.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 2–2.5 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.7–4.1 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 4.2–5.4 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate, or attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–7.1 mm long; membranous; 1 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex attenuate. Palea 5.4–6.2 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA and southeast USA.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Rogers 2002.

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