Poaceae
Desmostachya

Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf

First published in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 7: 632 (1900)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Sahara to Tanzania and Indo-China. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte 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
Harsh, tussock-forming rhizomatous perennial up to 150 cm high; lower sheaths leathery, often densely flabellate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence up to 60 cm long, the racemes 1–4 cm long, erect or curving outwards from the main axis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly ovate to linear-oblong, 3–10 mm long; glumes unequal, the lower 0.7–1.5 mm long, the upper 1.1–2 mm long; lemmas straw-coloured or suffused with purple, 1.8–2.7 mm long.
Distribution
N2 Old World tropics.
Ecology
Altitude range c. 5 m.
[FSOM]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13579796/13596921

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Butt sheaths scarious; pallid, or dark brown; glabrous. Basal innovations intravaginal; flabellate. Culms erect; 50-100 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.5-1 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 10-50 cm long; 2-6 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; spreading; oblong; unilateral; 1-2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 15-40 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded. Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 2.5-13 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 2.5-13 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.7-1.5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.1-2 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets free at tip. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 1.5-1.8 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure; close to margins. Lemma apex acute. Palea oblong; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex entire; acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; entire; emarginate. Anthers 3; linear. Stigmas 2; laterally exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; trigonous; without sulcus. Embryo 0.3-0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform. Disseminule comprising a spikelet.
Distribution
Africa: north, west tropical, and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. WDC.
[GB]

Sources

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

    • 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images