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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Schizachyrium cirratum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–15 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; 3.5–8 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins (at tip). Rhachis internodes cuneate. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels cuneate; ciliate; hairy at tip.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–10 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume margins ciliate. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.66 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 12–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: western South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Gr Texas 1994.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.