Spartina densiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Butt sheaths indurate; glossy. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–15; borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 1–11 cm long; bearing 10–30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 10–30 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins; terminating in a spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–14 mm long; 1–2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume linear; 4–7 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–14 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–12 mm long; herbaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse to acuminate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 3–5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern. South America: northern South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Mobberley 1993.

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