New! - Search other data sources for Melica lilloi

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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 lilloi

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–50 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; retrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 8–15 cm long; 1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved; pubescent; hairy above.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6.5–8 mm long; falling entire. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate; 6.3–7.7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5–6 -veined. Lower glume primary vein falling short of apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 2–2.3 mm wide; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea 4–5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Palea apex acute. Apical sterile florets barren; in a clump; elliptic; 2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas pubescent; acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; 0.2–0.3 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.5–1.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. 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.