Poaceae
Dactyloctenium

Dactyloctenium aristatum Link

First published in Hort. Berol. 1: 59 (1827)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Tropical Africa to Kenya and NW. India. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Sprawling, geniculately ascending annual, often rooting from the lower nodes, up to 40 cm high; leaves conspicuously papillose-hispid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence comprising (2–)4–7(–11) oblong or broadly oblong racemes 0.8–1.8(–2.6) cm long, these clustered in a dense, often ovoid head
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets broadly ovate, 4.1–5.2 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.7–2.3 mm long, the upper with an awn as long as or longer than the body; lemmas lanceolate to narrowly ovate in profile, (3–)3.3–4.3 mm long, acuminate and often with a stout mucro up to 1 mm long; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain granular or granular-striate.
Distribution
N1, 3; C1, 2; S1–3 eastern Africa to north-western India.
Ecology
Altitude range 0–550 m.
Vernacular
Caws farqoole, sadeho (Somali)
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 4-38 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1-13 cm long; 1.5-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes (2-)4-7(-11); digitate; in a head; oblong; unilateral; 0.8-1.8 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4.1-5.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4.1-5.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1.7-2.3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; wingless, or winged on keel; winged narrowly; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1.7-2.3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn subapical; 1-2.3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma gibbous; lanceolate in profile, or ovate in profile; (3-)3.3-4.3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate (0.5-1mm). Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.3-0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; 0.75-1.1 mm long; granular.
Distribution
Africa: north, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
Diagnostic
Glume awn up to 1 length of body.
[GB]

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Sprawling tufted annual; culms slender, 4–38 cm. high, geniculately ascending from a decumbent base, often rooting at the lower nodes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, 1–13 cm. long, 1.5–7 mm. wide, usually conspicuously papillose-hispid, sharply acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence compact, composed of (2–)4–7(-11) oblong to broadly oblong spikes 0.8–1.8 cm. long clustered together in a dense, often subglobose head.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–5-flowered, broadly ovate, 4.1–5.2 mm. long; glumes subequal, 1.7–2.3 mm. long, the lower narrowly lanceolate-oblong in profile, the keel thick, scabrid and often narrowly winged, the upper narrowly elliptic-oblong in profile, the keel extended into a stout awn shorter than or equalling the glume; lemmas lanceolate to narrowly ovate in profile, (3–)3.3–4.3 mm. long, acuminate, the keel concave, thick and scabrid above the middle and extended into a stout mucro up to 1 mm. long; palea-keels winged; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Grain 0.75–1.1 mm. long, broadly elliptic to obovate in profile, dome-shaped across the top, finely granular or granular-striate.
Habitat
A seashore grass on sand and exposed coral outcrops; sea-level
Distribution
K7 northwards along the coast to Sudan and eastwards through Arabia to Pakistan and NW. India
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

  • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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