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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Cynosurus elegans

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 7–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 3.5–8 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle nodding.

Panicle contracted; ovate, or globose; secund; 1–3 cm long; 0.5–1.2 cm wide. Panicle axis smooth (with white band at each joint). Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; ovate; laterally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 5–8; exserted from glumes; 3 mm long; 1-awned; with 2–4.5 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 2.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; pallid; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1 mm long. Upper glume linear; 3 mm long; 1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; pallid; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.3–3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface hispid. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 8–12 mm long overall; limb scabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, and Arabia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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