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.

Enteropogon acicularis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 45–100 cm long; 3–6 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths eglandular, or glandular. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades curled; 10–20 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–14; digitate; spreading; unilateral; 4.5–20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume linear; 2–5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear; 5–11 mm long; 1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 10–15 mm long overall. Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 1(–2) in number; linear; 3–5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas acute; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 9–12 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis flattened; concavo-convex.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Tothill.

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