Nassella elata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 15–75 cm long; 0.5–1.25 mm diam.; 1–3 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes swollen; brown; glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; erose; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 2.5–20 cm long; 0.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or elliptic; 5–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, or drooping; 2–3 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.2–0.3 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 3–4 mm long; 0.75–1 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex with a membranous corona; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 12–15 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous. Palea lanceolate; 0.2–0.33 length of lemma; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Speg 1997.

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