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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 tenuis
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 30–150 cm long. Culm-internodes retrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; longer than adjacent culm internode; retrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or absent; 0–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–15 cm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; hispid; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear; 8–18 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; simple. Panicle axis dominant; scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved; pubescent; hairy all along but hairs longer above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; dorsally compressed; 7.5–9 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes glabrous, or pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate, or flabellate; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein falling short of apex. Lower glume apex erose; obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 3–3.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets barren; in a clump; cuneate. Apical sterile lemmas truncate.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; 0.3 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1–1.3 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.8–2 mm long; dark brown. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Meliceae. Torres 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
