Nassella lepida

HABIT Perennial. Culms slender; 60–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; conduplicate, or involute; 10–30 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or elliptic; 4–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending, or spreading.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; curved; 0.5 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–10 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–8 mm long; 1.1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 3.5–6 mm long; coriaceous; dark brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose; pilose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex surmounted by a ring of hairs; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 25–40 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous. Palea 0.33 length of lemma; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA and Mexico.

NOTES Stipeae. Gr Baja Cal 1994.

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