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Descriptions

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

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

Melica serrana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–65 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–3 mm long; entire, or lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades involute; 5–15 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–22 cm long; 1.5–4 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches ascending; whorled at most nodes; 6 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; 5–8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.2 mm long; 1.3–1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Upper glume apex erose; obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.6–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface asperulous; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma hairs 0.7 mm long. Lemma apex erose. Palea elliptic; 4.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets 1–3 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate. Apical sterile lemmas obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; united; oblong; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3; 0.6 mm long; retained within floret. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2.7–3 mm long; dark brown. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Meliceae. Mujica & Marchi 2007.

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