Chondrosum parryi

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; mat forming, or caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; slender; 10–60 cm long; firm, or wiry; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 0.5–2(–3) cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–2 cm long; bearing 25–60 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 4–15 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; tuberculate on margins; ciliate on margins; terminating in a 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; 3–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein tuberculate; ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.7 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with central lobe bidentate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on margin of lemma; 2–3 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on flanks. Palea apex dentate; 5 -fid; awned. Rhachilla extension pilose; hairy at tip. Apical sterile florets 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 2–3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1.1–1.5 mm long. Embryo 0.8–0.9 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Gould.

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