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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.
Chloris orthonoton
HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 35–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 4–11; digitate; in several whorls; unilateral; 4–10 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; 3–4.5 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; 1.6–2.4 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.3–3.6 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 3–4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or pubescent. Lemma surface pilose; hairy between veins (in hollow); with tubercle-based hairs. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs 1.5–2 mm long. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 7.5–20 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; cuneate; 1.5–2.2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3.5–9 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.4 mm long. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.7 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: middle Atlantic ocean. South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
