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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.
Cortaderia nitida
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 100–200 cm long; 2–3 mm diam. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle 40 cm long.
Panicle open; ovate; 20–30 cm long; 10–12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 10–20 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–8 mm long; scabrous; bearing a few hairs; hairy at tip.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 11–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1.3–1.5 mm long; pilose. Floret callus hairs 2.5–3 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume linear; 10–13 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume linear; 10–13 mm long; 1.4–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate.
FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3–5(–7) -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; plumose; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 5–6 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with filiform lobes; with lobes 0.5–1 mm long; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5–6 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 5.5–6 mm long; 0.66 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Palea apex truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
MALE Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.
DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and western South America.
NOTES Arundineae. Conert 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
