Sporobolus cryptandrus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 35–120 cm long; 1–3.5 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths without keel; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 2–4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 8–25 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–30 cm long; 2–12 cm wide; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1 -nate; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1.5–2.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.1 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–2.3 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–2.3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; oblong; laterally compressed; 1 mm long; red.

DISTRIBUTION North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Tex 1993.

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