Dissanthelium

Plants annual or perennial; cespitose, sometimes rhizomatous. Culms to 10(25) cm. Sheaths open, usually glabrous, lower sheaths shorter than the upper sheaths; auricles absent; ligules 2-6 mm, membranous. Inflorescences contracted panicles, some branches longer than 1 cm. Spikelets pedicellate, 2.5-5 mm, laterally compressed, with 2(3) florets, all florets bisexual or some florets bisexual and others pistillate; disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the florets. Glumes equal or subequal, usually exceeding all the florets, sometimes subequal to them, ovate or acuminate, margins scarious, apices unawned; lower glumes 1-veined; upper glumes 3-veined; calluses poorly developed, glabrous; lemmas oval or elliptic, 3(5)-veined, lateral veins near the margins, glabrous, scabrous, or pilose, apices acute or obtuse, sometimes denticulate, unawned; paleas slightly shorter than the lemmas; lodicules 2; anthers 3. Caryopses shorter than the lemmas, concealed at maturity, x = unknown.

Distribution

Calif.

Discussion

Dissanthelium contains about 20 species, and has an amphi-neotropical distribution. Most species grow in South America; two grow in North America. One of the two North American species, D. matbewsii (Ball) R.C. Foster & L.B. Sm., has a disjunct distribution, growing in both central Mexico and South America. The other, D. californicum, is discussed below.

Selected References

Renvoize, S.A. 1998. Gramfneas de Bolivia. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. 644 pp.

Swallen, J.R. and O. Tovar. 1965. The grass genus Dissanthelium. Phytologia 11:361-376

Tovar, O. 1993. Las gramineas (Poaceae) del Peru. Ruizia 13:1-480.

Lower Taxa

Dissanthelium californicum