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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.
Nassella melanosperma
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20–100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 7–30 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; equilateral, or nodding; 6–20 cm long; bearing few spikelets.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 24–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 4–8 mm long; pubescent; pungent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 24–40 mm long; 1–1.3 length of upper glume; hyaline; yellow; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 24–40 mm long; 2–2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 10.5–19 mm long; coriaceous; dark brown; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose; rough above; glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex with a membranous corona and surmounted by a ring of hairs (on membrane); with this appendage 0.5–1 mm long (plus ciliolae); awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; constricted at base (of corona); 100–160 mm long overall; with 15–65 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 30–75 mm long; pubescent. Palea 0.7–2.5 mm long; 0 -veined; without keels.
FLOWER Lodicules 2, or 3. Anthers 3; 4–7 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 5.5–9 mm long; light brown. Hilum linear; 0.9–1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Stipeae. Torres 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
