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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.
Chondrosum ramosum
HABIT Perennial. Rootstock evident. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–60 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.1–0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 2–5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1–4; single, or borne along a central axis; linear, or oblong; unilateral; 1–3.5 cm long; 4–5 mm wide; bearing 25–45 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 5–8 cm long. Rhachis pubescent on surface; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.
Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.8–1 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with central lobe bidentate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 1.5–2 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 1–1.2 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 2.5–4 mm long; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 1–2 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas lobed; 4 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3–5 mm long.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 2–2.5 mm long; yellow.
DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and Mexico.
NOTES Cynodonteae. Arrieta et al 2006.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
