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.

Pseudosclerochloa rupestris

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent, or prostrate; 4–40 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; without keel; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 1–10 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; dense; secund; 2–8 cm long; 1–4.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.75–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy below. Lemma apex erose; obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2 mm long. Embryo 0.6 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, and southwestern. Asia-temperate: western Asia. Australasia: New Zealand. North America: northeast USA.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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