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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Gastridium phleoides

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 10–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–7 mm long. Leaf-blades 2.5–15 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; lanceolate to oblong; 5–18 cm long; 0.5–1.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; scaberulous; tip pyriform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; saccate; 1.1–1.5 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; saccate; 4–5 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; 1-keeled; keeled above; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.3–1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy all along. Lemma apex erose; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.8 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 5–7 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; cartilaginous; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0.5 length of fertile floret; pilose.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, northeast tropical, east tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Aveneae. FTEA.

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