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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.
Chasmanthium curvifolium
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending to decumbent; slender; 30–60 cm long; 0.8–2.6 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths 1.5–5 cm long; pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.1–0.2 mm long; membranous. Leaf-blades ascending; linear; flat to involute; 3–7 cm long; 2–3.1 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; without bracts, or bracteate at pedicel base (lowermost spikelet of primary branch).
Panicle contracted; linear. Primary panicle branches appressed; distant; indistinct the panicle almost racemose.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 0–1 basal sterile florets; 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 4.6–6.5 mm long; herbaceous; much thinner on margins; light green; 1-keeled; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; herbaceous; light green; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; herbaceous; 1-keeled; acute. Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.5–8 mm long; herbaceous; light green; keeled; 7–9 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea gaping; bowed outwards; 3–6–8 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets distinct from fertile.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 1; (1.1–)1.5–2.1 mm long; yellow.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; laterally compressed; exposed between gaping lemma and palea at maturity; 2–3 mm long; yellow, or light brown.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.
NOTES Centotheceae. Valdes 2000.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
