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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.
Pereilema beyrichianum
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 40–80 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 5–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 10–20 cm long; 1–2 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1 cm long; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch; bearing spikelets almost to the base.
Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–4 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 2–3 in the cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets; cuneate. Pedicels oblong.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by awns; comprising a tuft of awns; 3 mm long; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 1–1.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.7–1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 3–4 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.7–1 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3–4 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight; 15–20 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels approximate. Palea apex acuminate; with excurrent keel veins.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–1 mm long; purple.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: western South America and Brazil.
NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
