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.

Cottea pappophoroides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–70 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pilose; with capitate hairs. Leaf-sheaths without keel; pilose; with capitate hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–20 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with capitate hairs. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 10–20 cm long; 4–6 cm wide. Panicle branches pilose; with capitate hairs.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; 4–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 7–13 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface hispidulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 7–13 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9–13 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma apex lobed; 9–13 -fid; with irregular lobes; incised 0.25–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 7–11 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; 1–3.5 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 1–3.5 mm long; of irregular length. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1.5 mm long.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in lower sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Pappophoreae. Gould.

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