New! - Search other data sources for Melica scabrosa

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 scabrosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–70 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm diam.; 12–16 -noded. Culm-internodes 1–10 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–15 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; continuous, or interrupted; dense; 7–15 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 4–5 cm long.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; with lower wider than upper; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or obovate; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1.5 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia.

NOTES Meliceae. Koyama 1994.

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