Key 5. Confirmatory characters

Formatted by Susan Farmer.

Characters – 88 in data, 75 included, 28 in key.
Items – 14 in data, 14 included, 17 in key.
Rbase = 1.40 Abase = 2.00 Reuse = 1.01 Varywt = .80
Characters included 2–24 26–77
Character reliabilities 2–5,7 7–10,7 11–13,8 14–26,7 27,8 28–38,7 40–43,7 44,8 45–47,7 48,8 49–63,7 64,6 65,7 66,8 67,7 68,2 69,1 70,2 71–76,1 77,8 78–85

1(0).
  • Hilum short.
 ... 2
  • Hilum long-linear.
 ... 11

2(1).
  • Female-fertile florets 1.
 ... 3
  • Female-fertile florets 2.
 ... Poa
  • Female-fertile florets 3 or more.
 ... 9

3(2).
  • Spikelets disarticulating above the glumes.
 ... 4
  • Spikelets disarticulating between the glumes.
 ... Cynodon
  • Spikelets falling with the glumes.
 ... 6
  • Spikelets not disarticulating.
 ... 8

4(3).
  • Inflorescence of spicate main branches; ligule a fringed membrane to a fringe of hairs; spikelets secund; glumes shorter than the adjacent lemmas.
 ... 5
  • Inflorescence paniculate; ligule an unfringed membrane; spikelets not secund; glumes long relative to the adjacent lemmas.
 ... Agrostis

5(4).
  • Hairy callus present; lemmas awned; biochemical type PCK.
 ... Chloris
  • Hairy callus absent; lemmas awnless; biochemical type NAD–ME.
 ... Cynodon

6(3).
  • Spikelet-bearing axes disarticulating; hairy callus present; glumes more or less equal; lemmas incised.
 ... Andropogon
  • Spikelet-bearing axes persistent; hairy callus absent; glumes very unequal; lemmas entire.
 ... 7

7(6).
  • Inflorescence of spicate main branches; spikelets secund.
 ... Echinochloa
  • Inflorescence paniculate; spikelets not secund.
 ... Panicum

8(3).
  • Plants monoecious with all the fertile spikelets unisexual; fruiting inflorescence a massive, spatheate cob, the fruits in many rows; glumes more or less equal; stamens 0.
 ... Zea
  • Plants bisexual, with bisexual spikelets; fruiting inflorescence not as in maize; glumes very unequal; stamens 3.
 ... Panicum

9(2).
  • Inflorescence of spicate main branches; spikelets secund; fruit sculptured; pericarp free.
 ... Eleusine
  • Inflorescence paniculate; spikelets not secund; fruit smooth; pericarp fused.
 ... 10

10(9).
  • Glumes carinate; lemmas carinate; lodicules membranous; stigmas white.
 ... Poa
  • Glumes non-carinate; lemmas non-carinate; lodicules fleshy; stigmas brown.
 ... Phragmites

11(1).
  • Stamens 3; mesophyll without arm cells; midrib with one bundle only.
 ... 12
  • Stamens 6; mesophyll with arm cells; midrib having complex vascularization.
 ... 13

12(11).
  • Ligule an unfringed membrane; hairy callus absent; glumes very unequal; glumes shorter than the adjacent lemmas.
 ... Festuca
  • Ligule a fringed membrane to a fringe of hairs; hairy callus present; glumes more or less equal; glumes long relative to the adjacent lemmas.
 ... Anisopogon

13(11).
  • Inflorescence a complex of ‘partial inflorescences’ and intervening foliar organs; rachilla prolonged beyond the uppermost female-fertile floret; lemmas blunt; lodicules ciliate.
 ... Bambusa
  • Inflorescence not comprising ‘partial inflorescences’ and foliar organs; rachilla terminated by a female-fertile floret; lemmas pointed; lodicules glabrous.
 ... Oryza