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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 varium
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–15 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 1–4 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 3–5; borne along a central axis; cuneate; 0.4–0.7 cm long; bearing a triad of spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 1.5–2 cm long; tip subulate (forked). Rhachis deciduous from axis.
Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 3 in the cluster; heteromorphic.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume flabellate; 1 mm long; 0.2 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume elliptic; 5 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–1 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile florets bisexual, or female. Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with outer lobes shorter and with central lobe bidentate; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 2–2.5 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on margin of lemma; 0.5–1 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; male, or barren; separate; oblong. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous; lobed; 3 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3–3.5 mm long; ciliate (below).
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.
NOTES Cynodonteae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
