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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.
Rytidosperma auriculatum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–50 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 2–10 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; dense; 4 cm long; 2.5 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches pilose.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 9–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–14 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–16 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 8 mm long; chartaceous; shiny; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface with 2 transverse rows of hair tufts. Lemma hairs 5–6 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lateral lobes bidentate (auriculate); with lobes 4 mm long; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 11–13 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 7–11 mm long. Palea oblong, or ovate. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back and on flanks. Palea apex emarginate, or truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 2 mm long. Embryo 0.6 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.
NOTES Arundineae. Vickery 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
