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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 ciliata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms erect; 25–45 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 1.5–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; cuneate; unilateral; 0.3–0.4 cm long; bearing a triad of spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 3–5 cm long; pilose. 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; male; oblong; asymmetrical; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes united below; coriaceous; 5 -veined; scabrous; ciliolate on margins; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 3; exserted from glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes connate along margins below; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; asymmetrical; 1.2–2 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; coriaceous; pallid; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1 mm long. Upper glume oblong; asymmetrical; 2.8–3.8 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; pallid; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex caudate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.8–3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Swallen.

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