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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.
Micraira pungens
HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 7–12 cm long; 1 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 0.07–0.1 cm long; estriate. Leaves cauline; spiral. Leaf-sheaths 0.4 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; as wide as blade at the collar; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; tapering towards tip; 4–8 cm long; 0.3–0.75 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–10 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 4–8 cm long; glandular; glabrous.
Panicle contracted; oblong; 1.5–2.5 cm long; 0.7–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 0.5–1.2 cm long. Panicle branches glandular.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–1 mm long; glandular.
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; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or erose; truncate, or obtuse, or acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 1 mm long; 1–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse, or acute; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea oblong; 2 -veined. Palea apex divided to base; 2 -fid.
FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 1 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; reticulate; obtuse.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Micraireae. Lazarides.
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Leaf-sheaths 7–9 nerved.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
