Poaceae
Alloteropsis

Alloteropsis paniculata (Benth.) Stapf

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 486 (1919)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa, Madagascar. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136641878/136641903

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual; culms 60–150 cm. high, often decumbent, nodes glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate, 4–12 cm. long, 8–20 mm. wide, glabrous on the margins, broadly rounded and ± amplexicaul at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 8–25 racemes, usually in 2 or more whorls; racemes 9–20 cm. long, bearing spikelets almost or quite to the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly elliptic, 3.5–4.5 mm. long; lower glume 1/3–1/2 as long as the spikelet; upper glume acute to acuminate, membranous, the margins ciliate with appressed hairs ± 0.5 mm. long; upper lemma with an awn 2.5–7 mm. long, the palea smooth.
Habitat
Moist soils and marshy places; 0–1200 m.
Distribution
T4 T6 Z Mali to Zaire
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 60-150 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4-12 cm long; 8-20 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 8-25; digitate; in several whorls; unilateral; 9-20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing irregular. Raceme-bases brief. Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2-6 in the cluster.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate (hairs 0.5mm). Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; not thinner in the body; 5 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; 3-4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5-7 mm long overall. Palea chartaceous. Palea surface smooth; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Disseminule comprising a spikelet.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Annual.
Morphology Culms
Culms 60–150 cm. high, often decumbent; nodes glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf laminae 8–20 mm. wide, narrowly lanceolate, ± amplexicaul, glabrous on the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 8–25 racemes, usually in 2 or more whorls; racemes 9–20 cm. long, bearing spikelets almost or quite to the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3.5–4.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Superior glume membranous, acute to acuminate.
Superior
Superior glume membranous, acute to acuminate. Superior lemma with an awn 2.5–7 mm. long, its palea smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma with an awn 2.5–7 mm. long, its palea smooth.
[FZ]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to about 1·2 m. high
Ecology
Moist soils and marshy places.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0