|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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 violaceum
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 35 cm long; 3–4 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths pilose; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–16 cm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pilose, or hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 30–40 fertile spikelets.
Panicle contracted; elliptic; 2–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–3 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous; ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.7–1.5 mm long. Floret callus evident; pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5–1.5 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.5–11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5–11 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous; with 2 transverse rows of hair tufts. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 7.5–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 2.5–4 mm long. Palea 3–4 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back; hairy below. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 1–1.2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5–1.7 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Arundineae. Fl Pat 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
