Spartina longispica

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long; spongy, or firm. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 4–16; borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 4–18 cm long; bearing 10–35 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 14–45 cm long. Rhachis angular; 1–1.5 mm wide; smooth on margins, or scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins; terminating in a spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–24 mm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume linear; 6–12 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume margins eciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse to acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–24 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume margins eciliate. Upper glume apex obtuse to acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 10–20 mm long; herbaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex obtuse to acuminate. Palea 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 3–7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Mobberley 1993.

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