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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.
Danthonia breviseta
HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 30–70 cm long; 1–3 mm diam.; 2–4 -noded; with 0.5–0.66 of their length below uppermost node; disarticulating at the nodes. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1.5–3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 30–50 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–10 cm long; 2–3 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches glabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–12 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8–1 mm long. Floret callus evident; 0.6–0.8 mm long; pilose. Floret callus hairs 1–1.5 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma hairs 1–2 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; incised 0.33–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; adnate to lemma lobes at base; 5.5–8 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1.5–2 mm long. Palea 4.5–6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels 1–1.2 mm apart; ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy below. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.6–0.8 mm long; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in lower sheaths.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Arundineae. Conert 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
