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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.
Alvimia gracilis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 600–800 cm long; 3–5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 20–47 cm long; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; intravaginal. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; in a clump; subtended by a bare patch above the node; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle; pubescent; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 0.5 mm high; brown; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate, or ovate; erect; 2.7 cm long; pubescent. Leaves cauline; 3–8 per branch. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; 1 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; scarious. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or ovate; 4–8 cm long; 6–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hairy.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.
Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–27 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 160–270 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; clavate.
GLUMES Glumes several; 1–3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Upper glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; chartaceous; without keels.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous; inner surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 1 -veined; without keels. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.3 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 2; 3.3 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with fleshy pericarp; obovoid; 16 mm long. Endosperm farinose.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Bambuseae. Soderstrom 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
