Poaceae
Chloris

Chloris amethystea Hochst.

First published in Flora 38: 205 (1855)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to N. Kenya. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Stolons absent, or present. Basal innovations subterete, or flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; (20-)50-100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5-20 cm long; 1.5-3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-8(-10); digitate; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; 4-9 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1-2.2 mm long; 0.4-0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.6-3.6 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; oblong in profile; 3-4 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 0.5-2 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; separate; cuneate; 1.5-2.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous (scaberulous); muticous, or mucronate. Apical sterile lemma awns 0 per spikelet in number.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.
Reference
Cynodonteae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms (20–)50–100 cm. high, erect or ascending, tufted, shortly rhizomatous or stoloniferous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 5–20 cm. long, 1.5–3.5 mm. wide, flat or folded, abruptly acute at the apex; sheaths strongly keeled, occasionally flabellate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 4–8(–10) digitate or subdigitate, loose to spreading, naked spikes 4–9 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2-flowered, 1-awned; lower glume 1–2.2 mm. long; upper glume 2.6–3.6 mm. long; lowest lemma lanceolate in side view, 3–4 mm. long, pallid, ciliate on the margins and keel, the awn very short, 0.5–2 mm. long, rarely absent; callus rounded, ciliate; 2nd lemma projecting from the side of the lowest lemma, different in shape, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, glabrous or scabrid at the tip, rarely with a short mucro 0.5 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 96/3, p. 338.
Habitat
Dry or seasonally damp grassland on poor soils; 1200–1800 m.
Distribution
K1 K4
[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]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East 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/

  • 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