Trisetaria parviflora

HABIT Annual; culms solitary. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel; pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 10–25 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny; gaping. Lower glume linear; 1.2–1.4 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; membranous; shiny; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; straight, or geniculate; 4 mm long overall; without a column, or with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea gaping; linear; hyaline. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Afr N 1993.

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