Descriptions
Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974
- Morphology General Habit
- Perennial with a knotty rootstock clad in tomentose scales; culms 50–100 cm. high, hard, almost cane-like, geniculately ascending.
- Morphology Leaves
- Leaf-blades broadly linear to narrowly lanceolate, 3–15 cm. long, 3–9 mm. wide.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence lanceolate, 8–20 cm. long, of numerous short spreading racemes arranged in untidy whorls on a long central axis; racemes 2–6 cm. long, the spikelets paired on a triquetrous rhachis sparsely adorned (especially towards the base) with long glistening hairs.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Spikelets narrowly elliptic, 1.8–2.2 mm. long; lower glume absent; upper glume 3/4–4/5 as long as the spikelet, 3-nerved, pubescent; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, appressedly pubescent; fruit ellipsoid, light brown.
- Habitat
- Open places in deciduous bushland; 1000–2000 m.
- Distribution
- K4 T1 T2
- Morphology General Habit
- Perennial. Rootstock evident. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms geniculately ascending; 50-100 cm long; woody. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 3-15 cm long; 3-9 mm wide.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; in several whorls; spreading; unilateral; 2-6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8-20 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; with scattered hairs. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8-2.2 mm long; falling entire.
- Fertile
- Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8-2.2 mm long; falling entire.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
- Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.75-0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
- Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8-2.2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
- Distribution
- Africa: east tropical.
- Reference
- Paniceae. FTEA.
Sources
-
Flora of Tropical East Africa
- Flora of Tropical East Africa
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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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
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
- Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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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