Muhlenbergia torreyana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; scaly. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 5–10 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1.5–2 mm long; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2 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; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.8 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

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

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.

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