AXILLARY CLEISTOGENES IN SOME AMERICAN GRASSES

Abstract

A few years ago a previously unknown form of cleistogene was discovered in autumnal specimens of Triplasis purpurea2 These were solitary, sessile, single florets without glumes, and were borne in the lower sheaths, clasped in the wings of an indurate prophyllum (fig.1).It was noted that specimens bearing these cleistogenes readily disjointed at the nodes.With this character and a slight swelling above the nodes as clues, other examples were sought from time to time with the result that some twenty more grasses were found to produce similar cleistogenes.They are produced by all the species native in the