|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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.
Anthoxanthum nivale
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths papery; persistent and investing base of culm; with soft dead sheaths. Culms erect; 25–90 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–25 cm long; 4–10 mm wide; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; continuous, or interrupted; 5–15 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; pubescent.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume ovate; 4–5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 7–9 mm long; 3–4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.5–5 mm long; 1.5–2 length of fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined; pilose; lobed; 2 -fid; obtuse; mucronate. Awn of lower sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.6 way up back of lemma; 1–3 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 3.5–5 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; membranous; pilose; lobed; 2 -fid; obtuse; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.33 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 5–8 mm long. Fertile lemma orbicular; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea oblong; 1 length of lemma; 1 -veined; without keels.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 2–4.5 mm long. Stigmas 2; protogynous; pubescent.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and east tropical.
NOTES Aveneae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
