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.

Calderonella sylvatica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.1–0.2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–20 cm long; 10–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 3–5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 6–7 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or cuneate (at maturity); laterally compressed; gibbous; truncate (at maturity), or acute; 8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 6.5 mm long; 1.4 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 15–16 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed; with cross-veins. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy between veins. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 4.5–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 10–11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed; with cross-veins. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy between veins. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblate; gibbous; 5 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 15–19 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed; with cross-veins. Lemma surface pilose; hairy between veins. Lemma margins connate below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels winged. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets 2–4 in number; male; separate; lanceolate; 2.7 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5–1.2 mm long; fleshy; veined. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; laterally compressed; 2.3 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana and western South America.

NOTES Centotheceae. WDC.

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