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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 truncata
HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 30–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 9–17 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 5–13; digitate; radiating; unilateral; 5–23 cm long. Rhachis subterete; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or sessile and pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 1.8–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.4–2.3 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.8–4.2 mm long; 1–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 1.8–4.5 mm long; 0.2–0.7 mm wide; cartilaginous; dark brown, or black; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex emarginate, or truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 3–16 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; oblong, or cuneate; 1.3–3.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3.1–12.5 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.6 mm long. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.7–2.2 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia and south. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern and north-central.
NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
