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.

Micraira dentata

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 2–3 cm long; 1–1.25 mm diam. Culm-internodes 0.07–0.1 cm long; estriate. Leaves cauline; spiral. Leaf-sheaths 0.5 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; as wide as blade at the collar; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; tapering towards tip; 1.1–2.5 cm long; 2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 1–2 cm long; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 1.5 cm long; 0.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 0.3–0.5 cm long. Panicle branches eglandular; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex dentate; truncate; mucronate. Upper glume oblong; 1 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex dentate; truncate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 0.5 mm long; hyaline, or membranous; keeled; 1 -veined. Lemma apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea oblong; 2 -veined. Palea apex divided to base; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 0.75 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Micraireae. Lazarides.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Leaf-sheaths 11–15 nerved.

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