Muhlenbergia flaviseta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes absent, or short; scaly. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–25 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 2–10 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic, or ovate; 2–5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1–2 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets. Lower glume oblong; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn flexuous; 10–15 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Awn yellow.

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