Poaceae
Hyparrhenia

Hyparrhenia anamesa Clayton

First published in Kew Bull., Addit. Ser. 2: 85 (1969)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to S. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect; 60-120 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-40 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; glaucous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 15-45 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 4-6 cm long; membranous. Peduncle flexuous; 4-7 cm long; glabrous, or pilose above. Racemes 2; paired; erect; 1.5-2.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2-3(-4) fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 3.5-6 mm long; glabrous, or hirsute. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; ciliate; tip oblique.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 4 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes villous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; muticous, or awned; one glume awned; with 1-2 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 5-6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1-1.8 mm long; pubescent; base acute; attached obliquely. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 4 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes villous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; muticous, or awned; one glume awned; with 1-2 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 5-6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1-1.8 mm long; pubescent; base acute; attached obliquely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume linear; coriaceous; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 25-40 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent; with 0.1-0.6 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.
Diagnostic
Peduncle hairs white.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Densely caespitose perennial, the basal sheaths glabrous or sometimes loosely hirsute; culms 60–120 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades up to 40 cm. long and 4 mm. wide, but often much shorter, harsh, glaucous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Homogamous pairs 1 or 2 at the base of the lower raceme, and 2 at the base of the upper. False panicle 15–45 cm. long, loose; spatheoles linear, 4–6 cm. long, the peduncles usually longer; racemes 1.5–2.5 cm. long, 4–6(–7)-awned per pair, white villous, not deflexed; raceme-bases very unequal, the upper 3.5–6 mm. long, glabrous or sometimes softly hirsute.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 5–6.5 mm. long, white villous; callus 1–1.8 mm. long, acute; awn 2.5–4 cm. long, pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet white villous, muticous or occasionally with an awn-point 1–2 mm. long. Sessile spikelet 5–6.5 mm. long, white villous; callus 1–1.8 mm. long, acute; awn 2.5–4 cm. long, pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.6 mm. long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet white villous, muticous or occasionally with an awn-point 1–2 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 184.
Habitat
Dry slopes and open grassy plains, often with Themeda triandra; 100–2500 m.
Distribution
eastern Africa from Sudan to the Cape K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 T2 T4 T5 T7 T8
[FTEA]

Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Densely caespitose perennial; culms up to 120 cm high.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf sheaths glabrous or sometimes thinly hirsute; leaf laminas up to 40 cm × 4 mm, but often much shorter, harsh, glaucous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
False panicle 15–45 cm long, lax; spatheoles 4–6 cm long, linear; peduncles slender and flexuous, usually longer than the spatheoles, with or without spreading white hairs above; racemes 1.5–2.5 cm long, 4–6(7)-awned per pair, white-villous, terminally exserted, not deflexed; raceme-bases very unequal, the superior 3.5–6 mm long, filiform, glabrous or sometimes softly hirsute.
Homogamous
Homogamous spikelets 5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrous or sometimes softly hirsute, 1 or 2 pairs at the base of the inferior raceme, 2 pairs (rarely only 1) at the base of the superior raceme.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 5–6.5 mm long; callus 1–1.8 mm long, acute; inferior glume linear-oblong, white-villous; awn 2.5–4 cm long, the column pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelets 4–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, white-villous, muticous or occasionally with an awn-point 1–2 mm long; callus absent; pedicel-tooth c. 0.6 mm long, triangular. Sessile spikelet 5–6.5 mm long; callus 1–1.8 mm long, acute; inferior glume linear-oblong, white-villous; awn 2.5–4 cm long, the column pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.6 mm long. Homogamous spikelets 5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrous or sometimes softly hirsute, 1 or 2 pairs at the base of the inferior raceme, 2 pairs (rarely only 1) at the base of the superior raceme.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelets 4–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, white-villous, muticous or occasionally with an awn-point 1–2 mm long; callus absent; pedicel-tooth c. 0.6 mm long, triangular.
[FZ]

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 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

  • 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