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 ventanicola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 25–40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–4 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; filiform; convolute; 4–28 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; linear; equilateral; 6–10 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 0.6–2 mm long; bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5–0.66 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–8.5 mm long; 1.1–1.3 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–8.5 mm long; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.5–5.5(–6.5) mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above; glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex surmounted by a ring of hairs; with this appendage 0.5–1 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn eccentric; flexuous, or geniculate, or bigeniculate; 28–50 mm long overall; with 18–30 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous. Column of lemma awn 13–15 mm long; glabrous. Palea 1–1.3 mm long; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1–1.4 mm long; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Torres 1994.

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