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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.
Glyceria insularis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–55 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; longer than adjacent culm internode; keeled; striately veined, or reticulately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–10 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 6–21 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex acute; hardened.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; dense; secund; 12–24 cm long; 0.5–1.5 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 2–3 -nate; simple; 2–3 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–4 mm long; smooth.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 15–23 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–7.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5.5–8 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 6–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; obtuse, or acute. Palea elliptic, or oblong; 4–5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.3–1.8 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; dark brown.
DISTRIBUTION Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
NOTES Meliceae. CEH 1999.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
