Enneapogon Desv. ex P.Beauv.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips And S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennials, or sometimes annuals, with wiry culms

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades linear, flat or involute, sparsely to densely hairy, the hairs usually gland-tipped

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle, usually contracted or spiciform, rarely open

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3–6-flowered (3-flowered in Flora area), the lowest floret hermaphrodite, the second floret hermaphrodite or ♂ (rarely sterile), the uppermost floret barren and represented only by a lemma which is often reduced to a small brush-like appendage; glumes lanceolate, sparsely hairy, the upper slightly longer than the lower and usually exceeding the body of the lemmas; lemmas oblong, broad, chartaceous or indurated, villous below the middle, the nerves (or some of them) excurrent into 9 awns; awns 3–5 times as long as the lemma, usually ciliate for much of their length and scaberulous at the tip; palea exceeding the body of the lemma

Distribution

Species ± 30; tropics and subtropics, especially in Australia and Africa, preferring dry, open habitats.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Perennials, sometimes annuals; leaves usually narrow, often inrolled

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets with only 1 fertile floret; lemmas chartaceous to coriaceous, hairy below the middle, with 9 ciliate (rarely scaberulous) awns; uppermost florets reduced to a brush-like appendage.

Distribution

25 species in the tropics and subtropics, especially Australia and Africa.

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Morphology General Habit

Annual (8), or perennial (23). Rhizomes absent (21), or short (3). Culms erect (3/5), or geniculately ascending (3/5), or decumbent (2/5); slender (1/1); 3-39.85-107 cm long; firm (18), or wiry (6). Culm-internodes channelled (1/1). Lateral branches lacking (6/15), or sparse (9/15), or ample (6/15). Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades persistent (23), or deciduous at the ligule (1); filiform (4), or linear (20); stiff (3), or firm (21).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle; terminal, or terminal and axillary (1). Panicle open (1), or contracted (7), or spiciform (17), or capitate (2). Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (22), or 2 fertile florets (3), or 3 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2-5.41-13.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret (23), or above glumes but not between florets (1). Floret callus pubescent (1/2), or pilose (1/2).

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (22), or 2 fertile florets (3), or 3 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2-5.41-13.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret (23), or above glumes but not between florets (1). Floret callus pubescent (1/2), or pilose (1/2).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes persistent; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate (3), or elliptic (2), or ovate (21); 0.6-0.887-1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3-8-23 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins without ribs (22), or ribbed (2). Lower glume surface smooth (22), or asperulous (2), or scabrous (1); glabrous (8), or pubescent (14), or pilose (11). Lower glume apex entire (20), or erose (9), or dentate (1); 2 -fid (1/1); emarginate (1), or truncate (7), or obtuse (10), or acute (15), or acuminate (6); muticous (21), or mucronate (9). Upper glume lanceolate (2), or elliptic (3), or oblong (1), or ovate (19); 1.2-2.202-4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3-7-23 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins without ribs (22), or ribbed (2). Upper glume surface smooth (23), or asperulous (1), or scabrous (1); glabrous (8), or pubescent (14), or pilose (11); with simple hairs (16/20), or tubercle-based hairs (1/20), or capitate hairs (8/20). Upper glume apex entire (20), or erose (9), or dentate (1); 2 -fid (1/1); emarginate (2/23), or truncate (6/23), or obtuse (10/23), or acute (14/23), or acuminate (6/23); muticous (23), or mucronate (7).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma oblong (13), or orbicular (7), or oblate (4); membranous (6), or chartaceous (8), or cartilaginous (11), or coriaceous (7); of similar consistency above (21), or firmer above (3); of similar consistency on margins (22), or much thinner on margins (3); without keel; 9 -veined, or 10-11 -veined (8). Lemma lateral veins obscure (4/4); without ribs (18), or ribbed (11). Lemma surface pubescent (4), or pilose (13), or villous (7); without hair tufts (23), or with a transverse row of hair tufts (1). Lemma margins eciliate (14), or ciliolate (2), or ciliate (13). Lemma apex dentate; 9 -fid; awned; 9 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8-1.804-3 length of lemma; limb glabrous (1), or ciliate (11), or plumose (12). Lateral lemma awns subequal to principal. Palea 1-1.125-1.4 length of lemma; membranous (22), or cartilaginous (2). Palea keels smooth (22), or scaberulous (2); eciliate (2), or ciliolate (14), or ciliate (9). Palea surface glabrous (8), or pubescent (15), or pilose (3). Palea apex dentate (1/1); muticous (22), or with excurrent keel veins (1), or awned (4). Apical sterile florets 1 in number (3), or 2 in number (16), or 3 in number (11), or 4 in number (7), or 5 in number (2); barren; separate (15), or in a clump (9); rudimentary (7/8), or oblong (1/8). Apical sterile lemmas awned. Apical sterile lemma awns glabrous (1), or ciliate (23).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2. Anthers 3.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid (15/16), or oblong (3/16), or orbicular (1/16), or obovoid (13/16); plano-convex (7/15), or concavo-convex (9/15). Embryo 0.75-0.8-0.9 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform (21/21).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Cleistogene

Cleistogenes absent (21), or present (4); in upper sheaths (2/4), or in lower sheaths (3/4).

Distribution

Europe (1), or Africa (8), or Temperate Asia (6), or Tropical Asia (4), or Australasia (16), or North America (1), or South America (1).