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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.
Cortaderia araucana
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 30–80 cm long; 3–10 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state), or dioecious (by loss of viability in bisexual plants). Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Panicle open; oblong; dense; 20–25 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous; bearded in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; bearded.
GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume linear; 12.5–17 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate. Upper glume linear; 13–20 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 16–25 mm long; hyaline; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma hairs 6–8 mm long. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–10 mm long overall. Palea 5–8 mm long; 0.33 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5 mm long; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 1–3 mm long. Staminodes present; 1–3 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2–2.5 mm long.
MALE Male inflorescence nominally bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (less hairy); hairy (hairs 3–4mm).
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Arundineae. Fl Pat 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
