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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 verticillata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 14–40 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole. Peduncle disarticulating; disarticulating above uppermost sheath.
Racemes 10–16; digitate; in several whorls; unilateral; 5–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–4 cm long. Rhachis subterete; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax; regular. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–20 mm long.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2–3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 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; 2.8–3.5 mm long; 1–1.4 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; 2–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 4.8–9 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; oblong; 1.1–2.3 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3.2–7 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.1–2.3 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico.
NOTES Cynodonteae. Anderson.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
