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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.
Lolium canariense
HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–67 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 0.5–2.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–21 cm long; 1.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.
Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 10–20 cm long; bearing 7–15 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis semiterete; 0.8–1.1 mm wide. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–24 mm long; 1–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8–4 mm long (0.25–0.33 length of lemma).
GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–28 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse, or acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–10 mm long; 0.7–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 1–5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex erose; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; flexuous; 2.5–15 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.8–1.1 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.3–2.9 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 3.5–4.5 mm long. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia.
NOTES Poeae. Terrell 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
