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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.
Schismus arabicus
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 3–20 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform, or aciculate; flat, or convolute; 1.5–15 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; lanceolate, or elliptic; 1–5 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–2 mm long; scaberulous; tip widened.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; falling entire, or breaking up at maturity; deciduous with the pedicel; pedicel base truncate; disarticulating between fertile florets but the lowest falling with glumes attached. Floret callus obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes deciduous with pedicel attached; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3.3 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.33–0.5 of lemma length; acuminate; mucronate. Principal lemma awn from a sinus. Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern and eastern. Africa: north and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia. North America: southwest USA and Mexico. South America: southern South America.
NOTES Arundineae. FTA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
