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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.
Scleropogon brevifolius
HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms 10–25 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 2–8 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Monoecious, or dioecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence, or with male and female spikelets in different inflorescences. Inflorescence composed of racemes; bracteate at pedicel base.
Racemes 1; single; 1–5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–8 fertile spikelets on each; secondarily branched (lowest spikelet on a minute branchlet bearing a rudimentary companion whose subtending bract simulates a fourth glume). Spikelet packing crowded.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Male spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Floret callus elongated; 1–2 mm long; pilose; pungent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 10–15 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute (around floret above). Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 50–100 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns subequal to principal. Palea 2 -veined. Palea apex awned; awns 0.5 mm long. Apical sterile florets 1–3 in number; barren; in a clump; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 3 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 50–100 mm long.
FLOWER Lodicules absent.
MALE Male inflorescence terminal; unlike female; a panicle, or a single raceme. Male spikelets 5–10(–20) flowered; persistent; oblong; 20–30 mm long; glabrous. Male spikelet glumes 2; muticous. Male spikelet lemma 3 -veined; muticous.
DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: southern South America.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Gould.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
