Deschampsia patula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 5–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–7 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–7 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 1.2 mm long; 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; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; with simple equal lobes; with lobes 0.2–0.3 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.33–0.5 way up back of lemma; straight; 1.5–3 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet. Rhachilla extension pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5–0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Pat 1995.

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