Poaceae
Danthonia

Danthonia melanathera (Hack.) Bernardello

First published in Kurtziana 10: 249 (1977)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Argentina. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 9-32 cm long; 1-3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5-1 mm long. Leaf-blades 4-8 cm long; 0.8-1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle, or comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1-4 fertile spikelets. Peduncle glabrous. Panicle open; linear; 1.9-5.3 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5-15 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 18-30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; glabrous. Floret callus evident; 0.9-1.2 mm long; pilose, or bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.4-3.5 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 18-30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; glabrous. Floret callus evident; 0.9-1.2 mm long; pilose, or bearded. Floret callus hairs 0.4-3.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 15-30 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 12-29 mm long; 1-1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 14-18 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 3-4 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 9-13 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 13-18 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 4-7 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea lanceolate; 5.5-7.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.5-1 mm long; fleshy; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.8-2.3 mm long; retained within floret, or eventually exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2.2-3 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.4-0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.3 length of caryopsis.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Cleistogene
Cleistogenes present; in upper sheaths.
Distribution
South America: southern South America.
Reference
Arundineae. Baezu 1997.
[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: low confidence
[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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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 2026. 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