Gouinia latifolia

HABIT Perennial. Culms 100–150 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 12–30 cm long; 8–26 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 15–25; borne along a central axis; drooping; unilateral; 3–15 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 20–35 cm long. Rhachis angular. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–60 mm long.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 2–7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate. Apical sterile lemmas awned.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Swallen.

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