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.

Danthonia cirrata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 20–80 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 3–22 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 3–10 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.3 mm long. Floret callus evident; 0.5–1 mm long; pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–27 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–27 mm long; 1.4–1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 11–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma hairs 3–4 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.66 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; curved; 10–15 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 2–3 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels 1.5–2 mm apart; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1.4–2.3 mm long. Hilum linear.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in lower sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Arundineae. Fl Pat 1993.

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