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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 patagonica
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms decumbent; 20–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. 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; 2.5–7 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 4–6 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear; 6–14 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; simple. Panicle axis dominant; scaberulous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved; ciliate; hairy above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1(–2) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.5–6.5 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes pubescent. Floret callus pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes similar; with lower wider than upper; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein falling short of apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 2 mm wide; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy in the middle. Lemma hairs 0.8–1 mm long. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea oblanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex emarginate, or truncate. Apical sterile florets barren; in a clump; elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas obtuse.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; 0.2–0.3 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2.5–2.8 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.33 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.
