Deschampsia elongata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 25–80 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–9 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; acute, or acuminate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate, or involute; 2–4 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear; 5–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; pilose. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–5.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 3–5.5 mm long; 1.2–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex erose; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.4–0.5 way up back of lemma; straight; 3–4 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Subarctic, western Canada, northwest USA, southwest USA, and Mexico. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Pac NW 1993.

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