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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.
Cathestecum erectum
HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms 15–30 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–6 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed.
INFLORESCENCE Androdioecious. Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 2–7; borne along a central axis; cuneate; 0.4–0.7 cm long; bearing a triad of spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 0.5–4 cm long; tip subulate (forked). Rhachis deciduous from axis; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like. Raceme-bases linear; 0.5 mm long; persistent.
Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; cuneate; laterally compressed; 3.5–5.5 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes membranous; emarginate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; lobed (3-fid); several-awned (3 awns).
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume oblong; 0.1–0.3 mm long; 0.05 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate (below). Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate; mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with outer lobes shorter and with central lobe bidentate; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on margin of lemma; 0.5–1 mm long; subequal to principal. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; male; separate; oblong. Apical sterile lemmas lobed; 3 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 0.5–1 mm long.
MALE Male inflorescence similar to female.
DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.
NOTES Cynodonteae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
