Hyparrhenia familiaris (Steud.) Stapf

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms erect; slender; 50-150 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 2.5-5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 30-60 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 6-10 cm long; membranous; brown, or red. Peduncle 6-10 cm long; pilose above. Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 1-2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1-3 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); 4-5 mm long; pubescent, or hirsute (fulvously); hairy in axils. 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; toothed (0.5mm).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 4 in upper raceme; linear, or lanceolate; 6-6.5 mm long; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-9 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 2-10 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 7.5-8.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 2.5-3 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; attached obliquely.

Sterile

Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 4 in upper raceme; linear, or lanceolate; 6-6.5 mm long; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-9 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 2-10 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; 7.5-8.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 2.5-3 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; 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 glabrous, or pubescent. 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; 60-90 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hirtellous (fulvously); with 0.5-1 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

Reference

Andropogoneae. WDC.

Diagnostic

Peduncle hairs yellow.

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial; culms 50–150 cm. high.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades up to about 30 cm. long, 5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Homogamous pairs 1 at the base of the lower raceme, 2 at the base of the upper. False panicle up to 60 cm. long, leafy, lax; spatheoles linear, 6–10 cm. long, reddish brown, the peduncles as long or a little shorter and bearing a beard of spreading yellow hairs towards the tip; racemes 1–2 cm. long, 3–5-awned per pair, ± glabrous, deflexed; raceme-bases unequal, the upper 4–5 mm. long, glabrous.

Sessile

Sessile spikelet 7.5–8.5 mm. long, purplish, glabrous or occasionally white pubescent; callus 2.5–3 mm. long, pungent; awn 6–9 cm. long, hirtellous with fulvous hairs up to 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Pedicelled spikelet with an awn 2–10 mm. long. Sessile spikelet 7.5–8.5 mm. long, purplish, glabrous or occasionally white pubescent; callus 2.5–3 mm. long, pungent; awn 6–9 cm. long, hirtellous with fulvous hairs up to 1 mm. long.

Pedicelled

Pedicelled spikelet with an awn 2–10 mm. long.

Habitat

Open deciduous bushland; 1100–1600 m.

Distribution

T1 U4 western Africa from Guinée to Angola