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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 melanathera
HABIT Perennial. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 9–32 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–8 cm long; 0.8–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1–4 fertile spikelets. Peduncle glabrous.
Panicle open; linear; 1.9–5.3 cm long; bearing few spikelets.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–15 mm long; pubescent.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 18–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; glabrous. Floret callus evident; 0.9–1.2 mm long; pilose, or bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.4–3.5 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 15–30 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 12–29 mm long; 1–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 14–18 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 3–4 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 9–13 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 13–18 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 4–7 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea lanceolate; 5.5–7.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5–1 mm long; fleshy; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.8–2.3 mm long; retained within floret, or eventually exserted.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2.2–3 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.4–0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.3 length of caryopsis.
CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in upper sheaths.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Arundineae. Baezu 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
