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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Melica subulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30–80 cm long; swollen at the base; forming an ovoid corm. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; scaberulous; glabrous on surface to puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface; erose, or lacerate. Leaf-blades 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous to hirsute; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending, or spreading.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes terete; 2.5–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5–6.5 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 7.5–9 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 0.66–0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets barren; in a clump; lanceolate; 5–8 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas acuminate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, northwest USA, and southwest USA.

NOTES Meliceae. Fl Pac NW 1994.

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