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Info
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus etymology: Deschampsia = Honorific for Louis Auguste Deschamps (1765–1842)
Species etymology: nubigena = "cloud producing" [Latin] refering to its growth in areas where clouds often intersect the surface
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: endemic
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Habit
Spikelets
Landscape
image credit: Ken Wood
Collar
Description
Tufted perennials; culms stiff, 30-100 cm tall, glabrous. Sheaths glabrous; ligule 5-8 mm long, membranous, lanceolate-acuminate; blades 5-30 cm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, folded, glabrous, margins scabrous. Inflorescences paniculate, 5-30 cm long, usually open, oblong-ovate, scarious, capillary branches in fascicles, some naked at base, some also spikelet-bearing near base; spikelets 2-flowered, 4.5-5.5 mm long, glabrous, rachilla pubescent, prolonged beyond second floret; first glume ca. 3.5 mm long; second glume ca. 4 mm long, keel scabrous; lemmas thin, hyaline, scabrous, ca. 4 mm long, apex deeply 4-toothed, awned from near base, 6-9 mm long, the awn usually bent near the lower 1/3, callus hairs ca. 1 mm long; palea serrulate on both keels, bifid. Caryopsis ovoid, cylindrical, ca. 1.6 mm long, apex rostellate, the surface slightly rugose. [2n = 26*.]
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )