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 secundiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 30–70 cm long; disarticulating at the nodes. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5–50 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.5–13 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.5–23 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; bearded. Floret callus hairs 3–4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.5–23 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5–23 mm long; 5–7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5–2.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 3–4 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 3–4 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea oblanceolate; 3.5–6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in lower sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Arundineae. Fl Entre Rios 1993.

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