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Descriptions

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

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

Bothriochloa torreyana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–78 cm long; 2–3 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.8–3.9 mm long. Leaf-blades 12–18 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; 1–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–7 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 5.8–6 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 1.8–2.3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; 2–2.5 mm long; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); villous; with 5.3–7.8 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; lanceolate; 2.1–2.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.8–3.2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 1.7–1.9 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; puberulous; hairy below. Lower glume hairs 0.5–0.6 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 9.3–12.3 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Scrivanti 2012.

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