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 barbatus

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 3–30 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform, or aciculate; flat, or convolute; 1–10 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic, or oblong; 1–5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–2 mm long; scaberulous; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–7 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; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.75–6 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; 2.75–6 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; 1.75–2.5 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 triangular lobes; incised 0.15–0.25 of lemma length; obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn from a sinus. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.1–0.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, and China. 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.