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.

Enneapogon desvauxii

HABIT Annual, or perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 3–40 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with capitate hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong, or ovate; 2–8 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.8–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; grey; without keels; 3–9 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.8–5.5 mm long; 1.8–2.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; grey; without keels; 3–9 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5–2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 9 -fid; awned; 9 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5–5 mm long overall; limb ciliate; glabrescent towards tip. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; subequal to principal; ciliate. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; dissimilar. First apical floret male; oblong; villous. Apical sterile florets barren; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 9 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 0.3–0.8 mm long; ciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in lower sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, Arabia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Pappophoreae. FTEA.

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