Deschampsia cespitosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 20–200 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 10–15 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–60 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 10–50 cm long; 3–20 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–6 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; pilose. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets, or reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4.5 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex erose, or dentate; 4 -fid; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0–0.25(–0.5) way up back of lemma; straight; 3–5 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 0.5 length of fertile floret; pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Aveneae. CEH.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.