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.

Lasiacis divaricata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms rambling; zigzag; 100–500 cm long; 5–9 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes hollow; distally glabrous, or with pubescent line. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 0.3–3 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.6 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule (lower blades); linear, or lanceolate; (3–)5–12(–16) cm long; (3–)6–14(–20) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–12(–20) cm long. Primary panicle branches reflexed; 2–8(–12) cm long. Panicle branches bearing distant spikelets; scabrous; pubescent in axils.

Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; tilted on the pedicel; dorsally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume oblate; 1.4–2 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; black; without keels; 7–11 -veined. Lower glume surface woolly; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; black; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume surface woolly; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9–13 -veined; woolly; hairy at apex; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 3.4–4 mm long; indurate; pallid, or light brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; with a shallow excavation and woolly. Palea indurate. Palea apex pubescent.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2.2–2.4 mm long; pallid.

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

NOTES Paniceae. Davidse.

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