Poaceae
Chionochloa

Chionochloa flavescens Zotov

First published in New Zealand J. Bot. 1: 97 (1963)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Zealand. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subalpine or subarctic biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths pallid, or purple; persistent and investing base of culm; with dead sheaths fracturing into segments. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 50-150 cm long; 4-10 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pilose. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 10-20 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy; inner surface glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent; 1 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades drooping; deciduous with part of sheath attached; flat; 40-130 cm long; 5-10 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous, or papillose; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 15-30 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 6-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; bearded; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 4 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 6-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; bearded; disarticulating obliquely. Floret callus hairs 4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 12-14 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute, or setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 14-18 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3-7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or setaceously attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 8-9 mm long; membranous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy between veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; with lobes 3 mm long; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 14-16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4 mm long. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 3 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 10 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; 1.5 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.5 mm long. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Australasia: New Zealand.
Reference
Arundineae. Connor.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0