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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 nitens
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pallid; dull, or glossy. Culms 12–25 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes ridged; smooth. Leaf-sheaths ribbed; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1–2 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 4–9 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 2–4(–8) fertile spikelets. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.
Panicle open; linear; 0.9–3.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle axis pilose.
Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate; hairy all along but hairs longer above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6.5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1–2 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–5.25 mm long; chartaceous; shiny; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface with marginal hair tufts; bearing 4 hair tufts in all. Lemma hairs 1 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 1.25–2 mm long; incised 0.33 of lemma length; acute, or setaceously attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4–5.25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long. Palea lanceolate, or elliptic, or oblanceolate; 0.75 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.6 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Arundineae. Morris 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
