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 villiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms slender; 10 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades spreading; curved; involute; 1–2 cm long; 0.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 1.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 1.5 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 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins villous. Lemma apex apiculate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface villous; hairy on back; hairy below.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and Mexico.

NOTES Eragrostideae. N Amer Fl 1994.

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