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.

Dactyloctenium

HABIT Annual (8), or perennial (5). Stolons absent (7), or present (7). Culms erect (3/11), or geniculately ascending (6/11), or decumbent (8/11), or prostrate (1/11); 3–34.76–160 cm long; without nodal roots (1/8), or rooting from lower nodes (8/8). Lateral branches ample (1/2), or suffrutescent (1/2). Ligule an eciliate membrane (3), or a ciliolate membrane (10), or a ciliate membrane (1). Leaf-blades herbaceous (11), or coriaceous (2); stiff (2), or firm (11). Leaf-blade apex muticous (11), or pungent (2).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes single (1), or paired (2), or digitate (12); not compacted (5/12), or in a head (7/12); erect (1), or ascending (12), or spreading (3); linear (7), or oblong (8); unilateral. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate (3), or bristle-like (10). Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate (12/12); solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (1), or 2 fertile florets (4), or 3–4 fertile florets (11), or 5 fertile florets (8), or 6 fertile florets (4), or 7 fertile florets (2), or 8–9 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate (1), or elliptic (2), or oblong (1), or ovate (11); laterally compressed; 2.3–4.447–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Spikelet callus glabrous (1/2), or pubescent (1/2), or pilose (1/2). Rhachilla internodes definite (12/12).

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet (12), or reaching apex of florets (1), or exceeding apex of florets (1); parallel to lemmas (11), or recurved at apex (2). Lower glume lanceolate (2), or elliptic (3), or oblong (4), or ovate (6); 0.7–0.9962–1.3 length of upper glume; membranous (5/5); 1-keeled; wingless (10), or winged on keel (4); 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent (12), or distinct (1). Lower glume surface without pits. Lower glume apex truncate (1), or acute (12); muticous (12), or mucronate (1). Upper glume elliptic (3), or oblong (7), or ovate (3), or obovate (1); 0.4–0.6423–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate (6), or obtuse (2), or acute (5); mucronate (1), or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn terminal (5), or subapical (8).

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate (3/3); not gibbous (9), or gibbous (4); lanceolate in profile (6/10), or elliptic in profile (1/10), or ovate in profile (5/10); membranous; keeled; wingless; 1 -veined (1), or 3 -veined (12). Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (3), or scaberulous (8), or scabrous (2). Lemma lateral veins obscure (8/8). Lemma surface unwrinkled; without grooves. Lemma apex acute (9), or acuminate (2), or setaceously attenuate (1), or cuspidate (3); muticous (5), or mucronate (9), or awned (2); 1 -awned (2/2). Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined (12/12). Palea keels wingless (10), or winged (5); smooth (9), or scaberulous (4); eciliate (11), or ciliolate (2). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp (12/12); ellipsoid (2/9), or oblong (1/9), or orbicular (1/9), or obovoid (7/9); laterally compressed (1/1); granular (5/9), or rugose (4/9).

DISTRIBUTION Europe (1), or Africa (12), or Temperate Asia (4), or Tropical Asia (3), or Australasia (5), or Pacific (1), or North America (1), or South America (1).

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