Agrostis gigantea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 40–120 cm long; 3–6 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths without keel; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–6 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong to ovate; effuse; 8–25 cm long; 3–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; terete; 0.5–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 2–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.3–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.3–2.3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma apex truncate. Palea oblong; 0.5–0.7 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; membranous. Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long. Stigmas 2; laterally exserted.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; isodiametric; biconvex; estipitate; without sulcus; smooth; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.9 length of caryopsis. Endosperm farinose.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, and eastern Canada. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Aveneae. CEH.

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