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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.
Chondrosum brevisetum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–70 cm long; wiry; 4–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1–5(–7) cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1–4; single, or borne along a central axis; linear, or oblong; straight, or arcuate; unilateral; 1–3.5 cm long; bearing 25–45(–60) fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 0–3 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; terminating in a spikelet, or sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.
Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with outer lobes shorter and with central lobe bidentate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 0.5–2 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension pilose; hairy at tip. Apical sterile florets 1–2 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas lobed; 2 -fid; obtuse; awned; 3 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3–5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1–1.2 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and Mexico.
NOTES Cynodonteae. Gould.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
