Boissiera squarrosa

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or decumbent; 5–15 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; ovate; 2–7 cm long; 2–3.5 cm wide.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–12 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex erose; obtuse; awned; 5–9 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.75 way up back of lemma; curved; spreading; 6–14 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising dorsally; spreading as much as principal; shorter than principal. Apical sterile florets 3–6 in number; barren; in a clump; oblong; 1–5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 5–9 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 6–14 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Iraq.

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