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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 nitidum
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 70–120 cm long; 0.5–1 mm diam. Culm-nodes brown. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 9–15 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1–6; single, or borne along a central axis; distant; spreading; 2–14 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–6(–12) fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 8–16 cm long. Spikelet packing distant.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–5 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; (2–)4–8(–11) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; (8–)11–18(–23) mm long; (6–)8–13(–16) mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; (2–)3–5(–7) mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; (2–)3–5(–7) mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 5–8 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 9–11 -veined; acute. Fertile florets divergent; free at tip; increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–10 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 11–13 -veined. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate. Palea bowed outwards; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 1; 1–1.5 mm long; red, or purple.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 2.5–3 mm long; dark brown, or black.
DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.
NOTES Centotheceae. Yates.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
