Poaceae
Avenella

Avenella foliosa (Hack.) Rivas Mart., Lousã, Fern.Prieto, E.Días, J.C.Costa

First published in Itin. Geobot. 15: 698 (2002)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Azores. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 15-30 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; smooth. Leaves distichous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4-7 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 5-15 cm long; 0.6-1 mm wide; mid-green. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; loose; 4-9 cm long; 1-5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent. Floret callus pilose.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent. Floret callus pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow, or purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; yellow, or purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5-4 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 4 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; with outer lobes longer; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.1-0.2 way up back of lemma; straight, or geniculate; 3-7 mm long overall; without a column, or with twisted column. Rhachilla extension 0.5 length of fertile floret; pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: Macaronesia.
Reference
Aveneae. Fl Eur 1997.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0