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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 salzmannii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 12–95 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; 6–13 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 5–6 mm long. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim and hairy rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–6.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; keeled; distinctly veined; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 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. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 7–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Gr Bahia.

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