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 striata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–15 cm long. Culm-internodes retrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; erose; obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 2–10 cm long; 0.8–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; deciduous as a whole. Peduncle fracturing.

Panicle open; elliptic; 2–10 cm long; 1.5–7 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.2–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent. Floret callus hairs 0.3 mm long; 0.25 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 1.05 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.2–3.5 mm long; 1.3–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 1.2–2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex truncate; awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.66–0.75 way up back of lemma; straight; 0.2–2 mm long overall. Palea 0.66–1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Rhachilla extension 0.5 mm long; pubescent; with 0.5 mm long hairs.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; linear; membranous; acute. Anthers 3; 0.2–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 0.8–1.4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Aveneae. Edgar 1997.

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