GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora





HABIT Perennial. Stolons absent (1), or present. Culms 70–100–150 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade midrib evident.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes digitate; erect (1), or ascending (1); unilateral. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets, or 2 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5–4.625–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite (1/1). Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline (1), or membranous (1); 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface without pits. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.25–0.5375–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; chartaceous; keeled; wingless; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth (1), or asperulous (1); unwrinkled; without grooves; glabrous (1), or puberulous (1). Lemma margins eciliate (1), or ciliolate (1). Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Lateral lemma awns subequal to principal (1), or shorter than principal (1). Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Apical sterile florets 1–3 in number (1); barren; linear (1), or lanceolate (1). Apical sterile lemmas awned.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; concavo-convex.

DISTRIBUTION North America, or South America.
