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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.
Axonopus marginatus
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Stolons present. Butt sheaths withering, or persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 30–85 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent, or bearded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 3–13 cm long; as wide as blade at the collar; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; without bracts, or bracteate at branch bases (lowest raceme); with 1–2 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle 10–25 cm long.
Racemes 2–13; digitate; ascending; unilateral; 4–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–4 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.5–0.7 mm wide; drab; glabrous on surface; scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; 3–5.5 spikelets per cm.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.1–0.3 mm long; ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic to ovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; with hairs extending 0.5–1 mm beyond apex; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2–4 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy between veins. Upper glume hairs white, or purple; 0.5–1 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; 1 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; 2–4 -veined; without midvein; pilose; hairy between veins; bearing white hairs, or purple hairs; bearing hairs 0.5–1 mm long. Fertile lemma 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex without ornament, or pubescent. Palea involute; indurate.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Paniceae. Black 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
