Colpodium versicolor

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths light brown; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 9–25 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; 3–5 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 2.5–8 cm long; 1.5–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–3 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 2–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; purple; 1-keeled; keeled below; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2–3 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; purple; 1-keeled; keeled below; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins all falling short of apex. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 1.8–3 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; mid-green and yellow; tipped with last colour; keeled; lightly keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins less than two thirds length of lemma. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy below. Lemma apex erose; obtuse. Palea keels smooth; ciliolate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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