Muhlenbergia breviculmis

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–9 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8–1 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1.5–2 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted.

Panicle open; 15–40 cm long; 1.5–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 0.8–1 cm long. Panicle branches stiff.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5–2.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.2–1.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.2–3 mm long; membranous; grey; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0–1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea surface glabrous. Palea apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1–1.2 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1 mm long; red; obtuse.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.

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