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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 sericatum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–80 cm long. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; conduplicate; 10–20 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; fastigiate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear. Peduncle 4–6 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; sinuous; 3 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; plumose on margins. Rhachis hairs 5 mm long. Spikelet packing lax. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform; with simple rim.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; curved; 4–5 mm long; plumose; with 5 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; linear; 3–4 mm long; shorter than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with 3–4 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; dorsally compressed; 5 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 linear; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous. Lower glume surface concave. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 15–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Man Gr US 1994.

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