Colpodium fibrosum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 7–30 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–6 cm long; 1.5–3.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; dense; 3–7 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 0.2–1.4 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; purple; 1-keeled; keeled below; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; purple; 1-keeled; keeled below; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins all falling short of apex. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; purple and light brown; tipped with last colour; keeled. Lemma lateral veins less than two thirds length of lemma. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex erose; truncate. Palea keels smooth; eciliate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long; brown.

FRUIT Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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