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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.
Cleistogenes songorica
HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 20–30 cm long; 1 mm diam.; 4–8 -noded. Culm-internodes similar in length. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tight; longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2–3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–8 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 0.5–2.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 3–6 cm long. Spikelet packing lax.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8–1.2 mm long; pubescent; hairy at tip. Floret callus pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.2–3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.8 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.3–4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex entire; obtuse, or acute; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.1–0.3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in upper sheaths.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, China, and Mongolia.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Conert.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
