New! - Search other data sources for Chloris radiata

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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 radiata

HABIT Annual. Culms 30–60 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; digitate; simply spaced, or in several whorls; unilateral; 5–8 cm long. 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; 2.8–3.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7–1.6 mm long; 0.4–0.6 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; 2–2.7 mm long; 0.7–0.8 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; lanceolate in profile; 2.8–3.3 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 6–13 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate; 0.4–0.7 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas acute; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; 3–5 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; trigonous; 1.4–1.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.

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