Muhlenbergia plumbea

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample; arising from lower culm. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 3–15 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1 -nate; 4–8 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3 mm long; membranous; grey; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.

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