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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.
Axonopus canescens
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Culms 30–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves cauline; without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades ascending; flat, or conduplicate; 10–31 cm long; 2–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; densely hairy; hairy adaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; with 1–3 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle 6–20 cm long; glabrous.
Racemes 3–14(–22); digitate; unilateral; 6–14 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–4(–6) cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; tuberculate on margins; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs yellow; 2–3 mm long. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels reduced to a stump; ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.3–1.7 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; yellow, or light brown; without keels; 2–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or distinct. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on veins. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; yellow, or light brown; 2–3 -veined; without midvein, or with evident midvein; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on veins; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.3–1.7 mm long; indurate; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.
NOTES Paniceae. Fl Guiana 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
