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.

Psammochloa villosa

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths coriaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms scandent; 50–150 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–8 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 30–50 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 30–60 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels cuneate; 5–10 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed, or subterete; 10–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 10 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 11 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; keeled above; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma margins flat; exposing palea. Lemma hairs white; 2.5 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 0–10 mm long overall; deciduous. Palea elliptic; 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pilose. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; oblanceolate; membranous; ciliate; obtuse. Anthers 3; 7.5 mm long; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and Mongolia.

NOTES Stipeae. Bor.

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