Cortaderia vaginata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 80 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 10–22 cm long; keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pilose. Floret callus hairs 2–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate. Palea 5 mm long; 0.66 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

MALE Male inflorescence terminal (but details unknown).

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Arundineae. Swallen 1997.

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