Deschampsia flexuosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Culms erect; 20–200 cm long; wiry; 1–3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–3 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5–20 cm long; 0.3–0.8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute, or acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 4–15 cm long; 3–20 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 3–10 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pilose. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume ovate; 3–5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5–5.5 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 4 -veined. Lemma apex erose; truncate, or obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 4–7 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 0.3–0.4 length of fertile floret; pilose.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2–2.5 mm long. 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, Caucasus, western Asia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, eastern Canada, north-central USA, northeast USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Aveneae. CEH.

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