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 chlorideus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat; 15–30 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–15; digitate; in several whorls; unilateral; 6–10 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–2 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 lanceolate; 2–3.5 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 6.5–15 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; linear; 1.4–3 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous, or pubescent; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 2–8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; flattened; concavo-convex; 4.5 mm long.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; underground.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.

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