Piptochaetium angustifolium

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; slender; 10–30 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flexuous; involute; 10–20 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; loose; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2–5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pilose (brown); acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 6 mm long; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 5 mm long; coriaceous; light brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy all along; with conspicuous apical hairs. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma hairs tawny; 1 mm long. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Stipeae. Hitchcock 1997.

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