Deschampsia media

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 8–70 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 2–20 cm long; 1 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 3–24 cm long; 2–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 4 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; with outer lobes longer; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; straight; 1.5–3 mm long overall. Rhachilla extension 0.5–0.75 length of fertile floret; pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, and southeastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Eur 1997.

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