Homolepis aturensis (Kunth) Chase

Global description 

Homolepis aturensis is a short-lived vivacious grass producing stolons. The culm is erect or geniculate and ascending. The leaves have a linear or lanceolate blade varying from glabrous to pubescent, with a membrano-ciliate ligule. The inflorescence is composed of an open panicle. The spikelets are solitary, pedicellate and dorsally compressed. 

First leaves 

The pre-foliation is rolled. 

General habit

Homolepis aturensis is a short-lived, vivacious stoloniferous grass, 20-50 cm tall. 

Underground system 

Underground system formed by fasciculated roots and branched stolons. 

Culm 

The culm is erect or geniculate, 3-5 mm in diameter with a cylindrical section. The nodes are hairless. 

Leaf 

The sheath is cylindrical, glabrous and long ciliated on the margin. The ligule is membrano-ciliate, 0.4-0.7 mm long. The blade is 4-12 cm long and 7-20 mm wide, linear or lanceolate, glabrous or pubescent on the surface, with a broadly rounded base, an acute wedge-shaped apex, and a margin finely ciliated along the entire length. 

Inflorescence 

The inflorescence is an open panicle, elliptical or oval, 6-9 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide 

Spikelet 

The spikelets are 7-8 mm long, lanceolate in shape, compressed dorsally. They are solitary, carried by a filiform pedicel from 2 to 20 mm long. It consists of a sterile basal floret and a fertile upper floret. The glumes are similar, longer than the florets. The lower glume is oval, as long as the upper glume, membranous with 7-9 veins and an acuminate apex. The upper glume is oval, membranous, 7-veined, with a ciliated margin towards the base and an acuminate apex. 

The basal sterile floret has an oval, membranous, 7-veined lemma 5-7 mm long with an acuminate apex. The palea is hyaline. The upper fertile floret has a lanceolate, 5-6 mm long, cartilaginous, 5-veined lemma with a flat margin and acuminate apex. The palea, as long as the lemma, is cartilaginous. 

Fruit 

The spikelet is falling entire at maturity.