Calamovilfa brevipilis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths coriaceous; glossy; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths 15–30 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule; 25–50 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 8–40 cm long; 4–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 8–17 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at tip.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–5.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 1.5 mm long; 0.25–0.5 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.7–4.1 mm long; 0.5–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.3–5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 4–5.4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 1 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea oblong; 1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels distant but flanking a median depression; pubescent.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.4–3.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northeast USA and southeast USA.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Thieret.

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