| Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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.
Gaudinia fragilis
HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–33 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.7 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 1–6.5 cm long; 0.6–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 6–15 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; falling with spikelet above.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7–18 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Rhachilla internodes 2–3 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.2–5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or villous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 5–10 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface smooth, or scabrous; rough on veins; glabrous, or villous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.3–8 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; lightly keeled; 7–9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.66–0.75 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–5 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 0.5–3 mm long. Hilum punctiform. Endosperm liquid.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia. Australasia: Australia. South America: southern South America.
NOTES Aveneae. Fl Turk.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
