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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 sarmentosa
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms scandent; 150–400 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect and connate forming a tooth opposite blade; (1–)2–3.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; (1–)1.5–3 mm long; entire, or lacerate. Leaf-blades 6–20 cm long; 1.5–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous (retrorsely). Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform; retrorsely scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; pyramidal; 10–22 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches scaberulous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved; pubescent; hairy above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes; scaberulous.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; purple; without keels; 4–7 -veined. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Upper glume oblong; 6–9 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with hyaline margins; purple; without keels; 4–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–9 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex truncate, or acute. Palea 0.6–0.7 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets 2–3 in number; barren; in a clump; elliptic, or cuneate; 1 mm long.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; 0.2 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Meliceae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
