Spartina spartinae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes absent. Culms erect; robust; 100–200 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 2–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; appressed; unilateral; 2–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–30 cm long. Rhachis angular; 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; 6–8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 6–8 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–7 mm long; herbaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Palea 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and southern South America.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Man US Gr 1997.

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