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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.
Oxychloris scariosa
HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Culms 15–47 cm long; (3–)5–7 -noded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 5–16 cm long; 1–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pilose; hairy adaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 3–6; digitate; unilateral; 1.8–4.5(–6) cm long. Rhachis angular.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; straight, or curved; 2.5–3 mm long; pubescent; pungent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 3–5 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 5–8 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 3.3–5 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; winged on margins; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs 1–1.5 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 5.5–8 mm long overall. Palea elliptic, or obovate; 1 length of lemma. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea surface smooth, or scabrous. Apical sterile florets 3–5 in number; barren; in a clump; flabellate; 3–4 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas winged on margins; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; (3–)4–7 mm long.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; trigonous; 1.3–2 mm long. Embryo 0.5–0.75 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Cynodonteae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
