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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.
Phragmites vallatorius
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; reed-like; 200–1000 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths loose. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; 30–80 cm long; 12–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; hardened.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle open; oblong; dense; 30–50 cm long; 10–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches profusely divided; naked below.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 3–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–1 mm long; bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; elliptic; 7.5–12 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; membranous; 3–7 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8.5–11 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1–3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 0.66 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3 (2 in sterile floret). Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central.
NOTES Arundineae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
