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Descriptions

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

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

Melica cepacea

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb. Culms erect; 20–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; keeled; retrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–25 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; straight.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–20 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2.5–3.5 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume surface asperulous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate. Palea 6.5–7.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; 0.4 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 4.5 mm long; light brown. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Meliceae. Fl Pat 1995.

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