Distichlis palmeri

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms 25–60 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 4–12 cm long; 3–5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle; aerial, or shorter than basal leaves.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–10 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; scarious; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 8–15 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–15 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5–11 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets similar to female but less developed; persistent; 15–20 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2. Male spikelet lemma muticous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Baja Cal 1993.

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