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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 pilosa
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 20–90 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 10–50 cm long; 3–5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state), or dioecious (by loss of viability in bisexual plants). Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 7–28 cm long.
Panicle open; elliptic; dense; 3–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1.5–6 cm long. Panicle branches bearded in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long; scabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5–2 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume linear; 11–14 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume linear; 11–14 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate.
FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; hyaline; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; villous; hairy below. Lemma hairs 4 mm long. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5–8 mm long overall. Palea 4–6 mm long; 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5 mm long; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Staminodes present.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2–2.5 mm long. Hilum elliptic.
MALE Male inflorescence nominally bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (less hairy).
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
NOTES Arundineae. Fl Pat 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
