| Taxon | Illustrator ⠉ | |
|---|---|---|
 | Gaudinia fragilis | Bee F. Gunn |
Plants annual or perennial. Culms 15-120 cm. Sheaths open; auricles absent; ligules membranous; blades flat. Inflorescences solitary, distichous spikes; disarticulation in the rachis, immediately above the spikelets. Spikelets laterally compressed, sessile, tangential, more or less appressed to the rachis, with 3-11 florets; rachillas glabrous, prolonged beyond the base of the distal fertile floret, terminating in a reduced floret. Glumes 2, unequal, from shorter than to about as long as the spikelets, unawned; calluses blunt, glabrous; lower glumes 3 (5) -veined; upper glumes 5-7 (11) -veined; lemmas coriaceous, obscurely 7-9-veined, unawned or awned near the apices; paleas shorter than the lemmas; lodicules 2, free, membranous, glabrous, toothed; anthers 3; ovaries pubescent. Caryopses with a terminal tuft of hairs; hila round. x = 7.
Discussion
Gaudinia is a weedy genus of four species that are native to the Mediterranean, the Azores, and the Canary Islands. Its inflorescence is reminiscent of some Triticeae; it differs from members of that tribe in its manner of disarticulation and in having compound starch grains in its endosperm. One species has become established in North America.
Selected References
Lower Taxa
"decumbent" is not a number.