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Descriptions

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

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

Glyceria maxima

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 90–250 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; keeled; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–6 mm long; obtuse (cuspidate). Leaf-blades flat; 30–60 cm long; 7–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; equilateral; 15–45 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; profusely divided; 6–20 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 5–12 mm long; 2–3.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 2–3 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 3–4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels wingless; scaberulous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.5–2 mm long. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, western Asia, and China. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: western Canada and eastern Canada.

NOTES Meliceae. CEH.

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