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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Chloris arenaria

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 60–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; puberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–10 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pilose; hairy adaxially, or on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–6; digitate; spreading, or deflexed; unilateral; 4–6 cm long. Rhachis subterete; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3.5–3.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.2–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.3–3.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 3.5–3.7 mm long; 0.5 mm wide; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy all along. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 20–24 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate; 1.6–1.9 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas acute; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 15–20 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; dorsally compressed; trigonous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.

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