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.

Ctenium bahiense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades convolute; 15–30 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle pubescent above.

Racemes 1(–2); single; unilateral; 10–17 cm long; 10–15 mm wide. Rhachis glabrous on surface; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–3.8 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume elliptic; 8–9 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface tuberculate; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn dorsal and oblique; 3.3–3.5 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2–2.6 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; ciliate on margins; fringed above; bearing hairs 1–1.2 mm long; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret subapical; 10–11 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate on margins; fringed above; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret subapical; 11–11.5 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs 3–3.5 mm long. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 7–7.2 mm long overall. Palea 3.5–3.7 mm long; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 3–4 in number; linear, or lanceolate; 1–2.6 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas muticous, or awned.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Longhi-Wagner 2006.

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