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.

Agrostis clavata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–70 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–3 mm long; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blades 9–18 cm long; 2–7 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade venation with 10–30 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 8–25 cm long; 0.25–0.33 of culm length; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at lower nodes; rebranched above middle; 4.6–7.5 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels clavate; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 1.6–2.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.6–2.8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.6–2.8 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.3–1.9 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins extending close to apex. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex dentate; obtuse; muticous. Palea present, or absent or minute; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0–0.25 length of lemma; hyaline.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Caucasus, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Aveneae. Widen 1994.

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