Common Mediterranean Grass

Considerable difficulty may be experienced in distinguishing between the two species of Schismus. No single character will work, but the combination of characters given in the key should be sufficient guidance. It is important that the lowest floret of a spikelet should be studied as shapes and relative dimensions change with succeeding florets.

Annual. Culms tufted, 5–25 cm tall. Leaf sheaths loosely pilose toward ligule; leaf blades 1–5 cm, often pilose on adaxial surface near base; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Inflorescence subspicate, 1–4 cm, 5–10 mm wide. Spikelets 5–6 mm, florets 5–10; glumes slightly shorter than spikelet, lanceolate, acute, lower glume 4–5 mm, 5–7-veined, upper glume 4–6 mm, 5-veined; lemmas broadly ovate, 1.8–2.5 mm, 9-veined, pilose below middle often with minutely clavate hairs, 2-lobed, lobes (of lowest lemma) 0.2–0.4 mm, broadly triangular, not longer than wide, apex acute, with or without mucro from sinus; palea reaching at least middle of apical lobes, often as long as or longer than lemma. Anthers 0.2–0.4 mm. 2n = 12.

Tufted annual; culms 5-25 cm high. Leaf-blades linear, acuminate, 1-5 cm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide (up to 2 mm when flat). Panicle contracted, dense, 1-4 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide. Spikelets 5-6 mm long, 5-10-flowered; glumes lanceolate, acute, the lower 5-7-nerved, 4-5 mm long, the upper 5-nerved, 4-6 mm long; lowest lemma 9-nerved, 1.8-2.5 mm long, broady ovate, 2-lobed, the lobes broadly triangular, 0.2-0.4 mm long; palea 1.6-2.6 mm long, spathulate, narrowly obtuse, reaching at least to the middle of the lemma lobes, often as long as or longer than the lemma; anthers 0.2-0.4 mm long. Grain obovoid, 1 mm long.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab & N.W.F.P.); Mediterranean region to Arabia; South and South West Africa.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: January-May.

Dry open places. Xizang [Afghanistan, NW India, Turkmenistan; N and S Africa, C and SW Asia, S Europe; introduced in America and Australia].

Festuca barbata Linnaeus, Demonstr. Pl. 3. 1753; F. minuta Hoffmann; Schis-mus marginatus J. D. Hooker; S. minutus (Hoffmann) Roemer & Schultes.