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.

Rostraria hispida

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.9 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm long; 1–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong, or ovate; 1–6 cm long; 0.7–1 cm wide. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliolate. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 3–4 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface setose. Lemma hairs 0.5 mm long. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 3–5 mm long overall. Palea gaping; 1 length of lemma; hyaline. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Afr N 1993.

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