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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 niveum

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Culms 50–65 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–9 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 3–4 cm long; herbaceous.

Racemes 1; single; 3–4 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 2–3 mm long. Rhachis internodes clavate; 3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets ascending; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 6–7 mm long; ciliate; with 2–3 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; linear; dorsally compressed; 1–2 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; 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 frontally. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 2 in number. Lower glume surface convex. 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 0.9 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Man US Gr 1994.

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