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.

Nassella meyeri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 25–45 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; puberulous; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–0.8 mm long; truncate. Collar ciliate. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; convolute; 5–11 cm long; 0.6–0.9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 5–10 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches capillary; puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.6–2 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 4–6 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 6.5–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy below. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex with a membranous corona and surmounted by a ring of hairs; with this appendage 0.5 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; constricted at base (of corona); 40–50 mm long overall; with 20–30 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous. Middle segment of lemma awn puberulous. Column of lemma awn 10–14 mm long; puberulous. Palea 2 mm long; 0.25 length of lemma; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Torres 1997.

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