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 rosengurttii

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms decumbent; 20–40 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths 2–15 cm long; wider than blade at the collar; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–12 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute; hooded, or simple.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; with 2–4 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle 4–10 cm long.

Racemes 2; paired; erect; unilateral; 4–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.8 mm wide; drab; glabrous on surface; smooth on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; 4.5–4.8 spikelets per cm. Raceme-bases brief.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled. Pedicels reduced to a stump; 0–0.2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acuminate; 2.7–3.2 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 4–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy at base.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; 1.1 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; 4–5 -veined; without midvein, or with obscure midvein; obscurely veined; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy at base. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 2.5–2.7 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Black 1994.

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