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Descriptions

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

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

Hilaria cenchroides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms erect; 5–60 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 3–10 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; cuneate; unilateral; 0.4–0.8 cm long; bearing a triad of spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 2–6 cm long. Rhachis obsolete; deciduous from axis.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; oblong; asymmetrical; dorsally compressed; 3–5 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes united below; coriaceous; 1.5–4 mm long; 5–11 -veined; scabrous; lobed; 2 -fid; truncate, or obtuse; awned; both glumes awned; with 1–2 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2–4; exserted from glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–7.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes connate along margins below; shorter than spikelet; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; black; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; truncate, or obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 3 mm long. Upper glume ovate; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; black; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; truncate, or obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex caudate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Swallen.

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