Redfieldia flexuosa

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 50–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 10–25 cm long; 1.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 20–50 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.2 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75–1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–5 mm long; 0.5–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent; free at tip. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, southwest USA, and south-central USA.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gould.

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