Poaceae
Cynosurus

Cynosurus balansae Coss. & Durieu

First published in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 1: 318 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Morocco to Algeria. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 40-100 cm long. Culm-nodes brown. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-6 mm long; lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 3-8 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; oblong; secund; 1.5-6 cm long; 0.9-1.5 cm wide. Panicle axis angular; glabrous. Panicle branches scaberulous. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; ovate; laterally compressed; 5-10 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 6-10; exserted from glumes; 3-5 mm long; 1-awned; with 2-4 mm long awn.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; ovate; laterally compressed; 5-10 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 6-10; exserted from glumes; 3-5 mm long; 1-awned; with 2-4 mm long awn.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 4.5-5.5 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2 mm long. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 5-6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 5-9 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: north.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Afr N 1993.
[GB]

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

    • 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