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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Nassella psittacorum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms 25–120 cm long; 1–2.5 mm diam.; 1–3 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 5–35 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 5–6 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous to puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 20–50 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3–5 -nate. Panicle branches bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–2.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 18–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1–1.35 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 18–22 mm long; 1.3–1.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–15 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 7.5–8.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex with a membranous corona and surmounted by a ring of hairs; with this appendage 1–1.25 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 70–94 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous. Middle segment of lemma awn pubescent. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Spegazzini 1995.

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