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.

Anthoxanthum altissimum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 70–130 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; obtuse. Leaf-blades 20–50 cm long; 5–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; interrupted; 9–25 cm long; 1.2–3.3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 5–6 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 5.5–6.5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; male; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; scabrous; ciliolate on midvein; obtuse; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret terminal; 0.5–1.5 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 1 length of lower sterile floret; chartaceous; scabrous; ciliolate on midvein; obtuse; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret terminal; straight; 0.5–1.5 mm long. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea linear; 1 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–4 mm long. Staminodes two present. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Pat 1995.

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