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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.
Ammophila arenaria
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 10–30 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 20–60 cm long; 2–6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; tapering above; 7–22 cm long; 1–2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–4 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.25–0.33 length of lemma (3–5mm).
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–16 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–12 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; mucronate. Principal lemma awn subapical. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; 2–4 -veined. Palea keels approximate; scaberulous; adorned above.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 4–7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear; 0.8 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and south. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern and north-central. North America: western Canada, northwest USA, and southwest USA. South America: southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
NOTES Aveneae. CEH.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
