Poaceae
Deschampsia

Deschampsia patula (Phil.) Skottsb.

First published in Kongl. Svenska Vetensk. Acad. Handl., n.f., 56(5): 175 (1916)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & S. Chile to S. Argentina. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 5-30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5-7 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 1-2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; ovate; 5-12 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2-7 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 1.2 mm long; pilose. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 1.2 mm long; pilose. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2-3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; with simple equal lobes; with lobes 0.2-0.3 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.33-0.5 way up back of lemma; straight; 1.5-3 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet. Rhachilla extension pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5-0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1 mm long. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
South America: southern South America.
Reference
Aveneae. Fl Pat 1995.
[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 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