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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.
Schizachyrium rhizomatum
HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms 50–70 cm long. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths without keel, or keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades spreading, or reflexed; flat, or involute; 10–25 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear; 3–4 cm long; herbaceous. Peduncle 3–7 cm long.
Racemes 1; single; sinuous; 2–3 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 1–2 mm long. Rhachis internodes clavate; 4–5 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 linear; 3–4 mm long; ciliate; with 1–2 mm long hairs.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2–3 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; cartilaginous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; keeled obtusely. 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 0.2–0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl N Amer 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
