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Descriptions

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

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

Muhlenbergia appressa

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 10–40 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 5–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1–2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1–2 mm long; 0.2–0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy below. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 10–30 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy below. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 2–2.5 mm long; light brown.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present; in lower sheaths.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA and Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Baja Cal 1994.

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