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 quinquesetica

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 25–50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle hirsute above.

Racemes 3–8; digitate; ascending; unilateral; 1.5–5 cm long. Rhachis villous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2–3.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–1.8 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; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.8–1 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 ovate; laterally compressed; elliptic in profile; 2–3.1 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 1 mm long. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 4–8 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 3–4 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1.3–1.6 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas pilose; adorned on margins (above); awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; 3.5–6 mm long; 3–4 per spikelet in number.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; trigonous; 1.4–1.6 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.

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