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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.
Melica decipiens
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 25–70 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; retrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 5–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear; 12–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; simple. Panicle axis dominant; smooth. Panicle branches smooth.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved; ciliate; hairy above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; 7.5–10 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate; 7.5–10 mm long; 1.4–1.5 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume primary vein falling short of apex. Lower glume apex entire; acute. Upper glume elliptic; 5–7 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate; hairy in the middle. Lemma hairs 0.5–1 mm long. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse. Palea 4.5–5.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface asperulous. Palea apex truncate. Apical sterile florets barren; in a clump; oblong; 2–2.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; 0.2 mm long; fleshy; glabrous; truncate. Anthers 3; 1–2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 3 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Meliceae. Torres 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
