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Descriptions

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

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

Diarrhena obovata

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 48–131 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–1 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 24–72 cm long; 6–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 4–33 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1–2 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising (2–)3–5(–7) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 7–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.7–3.7 mm long; 0.33–0.66 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2–5.2 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent; free at tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.7–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.5 mm long; membranous. Anthers 1.4–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; exposed between gaping lemma and palea at maturity; 4.1–6 mm long; apex umbonate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: western Canada, north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Diarrheneae. Fl N Amer 2007.

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