|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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.
Cynosurus cristatus
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–75 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 2–15 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; secund; 1–14 cm long; 0.4–1 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; ovate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 6–18; exserted from glumes; 4–6 mm long (linear); muticous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 3–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 1–1.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 2 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Rhachilla extension 0.1 length of fertile floret.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 2 mm long. Embryo 0.1 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, and southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
NOTES Poeae. CEH.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
