Muhlenbergia setarioides

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 50–100 cm long; 1.5 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–3.5 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 4–12 cm long; 4–9 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 3–6 cm long.

Panicle open; oblong; interrupted; 8–11 cm long; 1.5–5 cm wide; with spikelets clumped along branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1–2 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.7–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent; disarticulating obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.1–1.5 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5–2.1 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.3–3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn flexuous; 5–9 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy below.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Costa Rica 1994.

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