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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 uniflora

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 20–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with reflexed hairs. Leaf-sheath auricles erect and connate forming a tooth opposite blade; 1–4 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; equilateral, or nodding; 6–22 cm long; 1–12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–6 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; straight; 2–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 3–6 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–7 mm long; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea elliptic; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels thickened; winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea apex entire; obtuse. Apical sterile florets 2–3 in number; barren; in a clump; oblong; 2–3 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 3.5 mm long. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Meliceae. CEH.

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