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.

Nassella famatinensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths yellow, or light brown. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–57 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 3–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; pyramidal; equilateral, or nodding; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels puberulous; hairy above.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.2–0.3 mm long; glabrous; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 3–4 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 2.5–3 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth; glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex with a membranous corona; with this appendage 0.2 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; constricted at base (of corona); 4.5–5.5 mm long overall; with 2.5–3 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous. Column of lemma awn 2 mm long. Palea 1–1.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of lemma; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 1, or 3. Staminodes absent, or present. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.9–2 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Torres 1997.

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