Spartina arundinacea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; 20–50; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; appressed; unilateral; 2–4 cm long; bearing 20–40 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 8–16 cm long. Rhachis angular; smooth on margins to scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins; terminating in a spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–12 mm long; 1–3 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume linear; 4–10 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–12 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume margins smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4–10 mm long; herbaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Mobberley 1993.

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