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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Distichlis laxiflora
HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 20–30 cm long; 12–15 -noded. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades convolute; 6–11 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence composed of racemes; comprising 9–25 fertile spikelets; exserted (male), or embraced at base by subtending leaf to enclosed (female).
Racemes few; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; appressed; paucilateral; 1–3 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 3–7 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; scarious; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 11 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acute. Palea bowed outwards; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; scaberulous. Palea apex caudate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long.
MALE Male inflorescence similar to female; of racemes along a central axis. Male spikelets similar to female but less developed; 5–7 flowered; persistent; oblong; 9–10 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2; 2–3.5 mm long; membranous. Male spikelet lemma 4 mm long; 9 -veined; muticous.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Pat 2000.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
