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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.
Gymnopogon spicatus
HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.1–0.2 mm long. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; flat, or involute; 1.5–9 cm long; 2–10 mm wide; stiff, or firm. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes few, or numerous; 6–40; borne along a central axis; drooping; flexuous; unilateral; 5–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–25 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; distant.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent, or rudimentary.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 2.7–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; gaping. Lower glume linear; (2.6–)3–5.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear; (2.7–)3.5–6(–7) mm long; 1.6–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; (2–)2.2–3(–3.7) mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins eciliate, or pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; flexuous; 7–12(–30) mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1(–2) in number; barren; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 1–10 mm long.
FLOWER Anthers (2–)3; 1–1.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 2 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Cynodonteae. Smith.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
