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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.
Ctenium brevispicatum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 25–50 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes (1–)2–3; paired, or digitate; arcuate, or watch-spring spiralled; unilateral; 2–5 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; pubescent on surface; ciliate on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.25 length of upper glume; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein tuberculate. Upper glume surface tuberculate; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn dorsal and oblique; 1.5–2 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 2 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined; villous on margins; fringed all along; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret subapical; 4 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; villous on margins; fringed in the middle; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret subapical; straight; 5 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins villous; hairy in the middle. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; ovate; 2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Cynodonteae. N Amer Fl 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
