Poaceae
Avenella
Avenella flexuosa

Avenella flexuosa subsp. ligulata (Stapf) Veldkamp

First published in Pl. Diversity Evol. 131: 250 (2015)
This subspecies is accepted
The native range of this subspecies is Philippines (Mt. Pulog), Borneo (Gunung Kinabalu). It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 10-40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5-15 cm long; 1-1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; 6-10 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose; hairy above; with 0.7 mm long hairs. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose; hairy above; with 0.7 mm long hairs. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 6-7 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 6-7 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.25-0.33 way up back of lemma; straight, or geniculate; 6-7 mm long overall; without a column, or with a straight or slightly twisted column. Rhachilla extension 0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Malesia.
Reference
Aveneae. WDC 1994.
[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

    • '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 2025. 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 2025. 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