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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.
Spinifex littoreus
HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Stolons present. Culms 40–80 cm long; woody. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 5–20 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; indurate; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Synflorescence compound; stellate; 20–30 cm long; with principal spatheoles embracing a compact fascicle of racemes, each subtended by a subsidiary bract. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole (first synflorescence, subsequently racemes); subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole expanded; lanceolate; scarious.
Racemes 1; single; radiating; unilateral; 8–15 cm long; bearing 1 spikelet (at the base). Rhachis subterete; scabrous on surface; glabrous on surface; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate (quill-like, spinous). Spikelet packing abaxial.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Male spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 9–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 8.5–9.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute.
FRUIT Disseminule comprising a synflorescence. Secondary disseminule an inflorescence.
MALE Male inflorescence unlike female; a single raceme (in compound fascicles). Male spikelets distinct from female; 2 flowered; 10 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2. Male spikelet lemma 7–9 -veined.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern.
NOTES Paniceae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
