Colpodium parviflorum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 12–50 cm long. Culm-nodes purple. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–4 mm long; acuminate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 2–8 cm long; 0.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; 6–11 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 3–5 -nate; whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2–2.5 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 ovate; 1–1.6 mm long; 0.66–0.9 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 erose; obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–1.8 mm long; 0.75 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 erose; obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2–2.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; purple; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins less than two thirds length of lemma. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex erose; truncate, or obtuse. Palea keels smooth; ciliolate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.2–1.6 mm long.

FRUIT Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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