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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.
Gastridium ventricosum
HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 10–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle spiciform; lanceolate to oblong; 2–10 cm long; 0.5–1.2 cm wide.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–2 mm long; scaberulous; tip pyriform.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–4.8 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; 1.3 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; scarious; 1-keeled; keeled above; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; saccate; 2.25–3.5 mm long; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; much thinner above; 1-keeled; keeled above; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; 1 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy in the middle (on flanks). Lemma apex erose; truncate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.8 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 0–4 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; cartilaginous; 2 -veined.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6–0.8 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, southwestern, and southeastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: south-central and north-central. North America: eastern Canada, northwest USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, and Mexico. South America: western South America and southern South America.
NOTES Aveneae. CEH.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
