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.

Muhlenbergia mutica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; robust; 200–250 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–10 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 35–40 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 50–60 cm long; 15–30 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 25–30 cm long. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous, or scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous, or scabrous. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea surface glabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 1.5 mm long; red.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.

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