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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.
Cynosurus junceus
HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 12–22 cm long; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; lacerate. Leaf-blades convolute; 1–2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex muticous, or pungent; antrorsely scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Panicle capitate; ovate; secund; 1–3 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous.
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; oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 6–9; exserted from glumes; 2–4 mm long; 1-awned; with 2–3 mm long awn.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.5–1 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–1 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.7–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 6–10 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea surface scaberulous.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.4–0.6 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.
NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
