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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.
Anthoxanthum mexicanum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 40–70 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; interrupted; 6–12 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 0.2 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 5–6 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; male; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined; pubescent; bearing tawny hairs; dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; mucronate. Awn of lower sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.75 way up back of lemma; 1–1.5 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent; dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.25 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 6–7 mm long. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea oblong; 1 -veined; without keels.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2. Stigmas 2; protogynous; pubescent.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and northern South America.
NOTES Aveneae. WDC 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
