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.

Deschampsia atropurpurea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 15–20 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 1–7 cm long; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–12 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; pilose. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.33–0.75 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–6 mm long; 2.2–2.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets with the lowest dissimilar (awn straight). Fertile lemma ovate; 1.8–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex dentate; 2–4 -fid; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.6–0.7 way up back of lemma; straight; 2–3 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.4–0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 0.33–0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Soviet far east and eastern Asia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, northeast USA, and southwest USA. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Aveneae. Zlaki.

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