Kalinia obtusiflora

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 5–15 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 8–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; simple. Panicle branches stiff.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex erose; obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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