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

HABIT Annual (2), or perennial (16). Culms erect (5/7), or geniculately ascending (4/7); 20–63.75–100 cm long; firm (13), or wiry (5); without nodal roots (2/2), or rooting from lower nodes (2/2). Lateral branches lacking (3/7), or sparse (1/7), or ample (3/7), or fastigiate (1/7). Ligule an eciliate membrane (1), or a ciliolate membrane (10), or a ciliate membrane (3), or a fringe of hairs (5). Leaf-blades filiform (5), or linear (14).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes single (8), or paired (3), or digitate (11), or borne along a central axis (1); erect (2), or ascending (15), or spreading (1), or radiating (1), or drooping (1); unilateral. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous (13), or lax (5); 2 -rowed (10/10).

Spikelets appressed (16), or ascending (2); solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate (8), or elliptic (9), or cuneate (1); laterally compressed (8), or dorsally compressed (10); 2.5–5.697–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief (4), or evident (14); glabrous (2), or pubescent (5), or pilose (8), or bearded (3); obtuse (15), or acute (1), or pungent (2).

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet (14), or reaching apex of florets (5), or exceeding apex of florets (2); thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume subulate (1), or linear (3), or lanceolate (14); 0.15–0.5011–1 length of upper glume; hyaline (3/17), or membranous (14/17); without keels (17/17); 1 -veined (17/17). Lower glume lateral veins absent (17), or distinct (1). Lower glume surface without pits. Lower glume apex acuminate (15/17), or setaceously attenuate (2/17); muticous (16/17), or mucronate (1/17). Upper glume linear (4), or lanceolate (14); 0.5–0.8267–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline (3), or membranous (15); without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex entire (13), or dentate (5); 2 -fid (5/5); acuminate (8/10), or setaceously attenuate (2/10); muticous (11), or mucronate (2), or awned (5); 1 -awned (5/5).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (6), or elliptic (12), or oblong (1); dorsally compressed; cartilaginous (3), or coriaceous (15); keeled; wingless; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (17), or scaberulous (1). Lemma lateral veins excurrent (2/2). Lemma surface smooth (7), or granulose (1), or scaberulous (10), or scabrous (1); unwrinkled; without grooves; glabrous, or puberulous (1), or pubescent (1), or pilose (1). Lemma margins eciliate (15), or ciliolate (1), or ciliate (2). Lemma apex entire (7), or dentate (11); 2 -fid (11/11); acute (3/6), or acuminate (3/6); awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical (7), or subapical (1), or from a sinus (10); straight (15), or flexuous (3). Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels unthickened (16), or thickened (2); smooth (15), or scaberulous (2), or tuberculate (1). Apical sterile florets 1 in number (14), or 2 in number (11), or 3–5 in number (1); barren (2/2); separate (16), or in a clump (2); linear (9), or lanceolate (9), or elliptic (1), or oblong (1). Apical sterile lemmas muticous (2), or awned (16).

FLOWER Anthers 3 (3/3).

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp (10/10); linear (1/12), or ellipsoid (11/12); flattened; concavo-convex. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes absent (17), or present (2); underground (1/1).

DISTRIBUTION Europe (1), or Africa (7), or Temperate Asia (4), or Tropical Asia (3), or Australasia (6), or Pacific (2), or North America (2), or South America (4).

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