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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 gaumeri

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 35–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–10 cm long; 1.5–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 1; single; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets squeezed between internode and pedicel; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 4 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; linear; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with 5 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5.5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled frontally; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface convex; asperulous. Lower glume apex lobed; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 3–3.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.75 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.

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