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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 longiligula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths yellow; persistent and investing base of culm. Culms 60–130 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 10–30 mm long; scarious; brown. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 20–40 cm long; 3–5.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; linear, or elliptic; 15–55 cm long; 1–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–5 cm long. Panicle axis smooth, or scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5–2.9 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface glabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Soderstrom 1994.

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