Hyparrhenia newtonii (Hack.) Stapf

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Densely tufted, 60–120 cm. high

Ecology

Stony hillsides.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or woolly. Culms erect; 60-120 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or woolly. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 1.5-3 mm wide; stiff; light green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Synflorescence compound; scanty, or paniculate; 15-30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole lanceolate; 2.5-5 cm long; membranous; glabrous, or hirsute. Peduncle 2-4 cm long; pilose above (yellow hairs). Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 1.5-2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1-2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases linear, or flattened; unequal (the longer measured); 1.5-3(-4) mm long; stiffly setose; extended into an oblong appendage; with 1-3 mm long appendage. 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 (0.2-1.5mm).

Sterile

Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 5-10 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-10 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous to villous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 1-5 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; 6-10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5-2 mm long; pubescent; base acute, or pungent; attached obliquely. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 5-10 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-10 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous to villous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 1-5 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; 6-10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5-2 mm long; pubescent; base acute, or 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 grooved on either side of midvein; glabrous, or pubescent to villous (rarely). 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; 22-55 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

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

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis 2.5-3.5 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia.

Reference

Andropogoneae. WDC.

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

Morphology General Habit

Densely caespitose perennial; culms up to 210 cm high, erect, glabrous.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Leaf sheaths glabrous to thinly pilose, the basal tomentose or glabrous below; leaf laminas up to 30 cm × 3 mm, rigid, scabrid along the margins, glabrous or pubescent below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

False panicle 15–30 cm long, diffuse or scanty; spatheoles 2.5–5 cm long, narrowly lanceolate, glabrous or villous along the margins, rarely villous all over; peduncles a little shorter than the spatheoles, barbate all round above with stiff bulbous-based yellow hairs; racemes 1.5–2 cm long, 2–4-awned per pair, dark purple, laterally exserted and deflexed; raceme-bases unequal, the superior 1.5–3(4) mm long, flattened below, subterete above, barbate with stiff yellow or occasionally pallid hairs, produced at the apex into a linear, purple, entire or bidentate appendage 1–3 mm long.

Homogamous

Homogamous spikelets 5–10 mm long, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme only, glabrous, awnless.

Sessile

Sessile spikelets 6–10 mm long; callus 1.5–2 mm long, acute to pungent; inferior glume linear-oblong, coriaceous, glabrous or sometimes pilose towards the apex, often pubescent or pilose all over, the midnerve raised between two fine longitudinal grooves; awn 2.2–5.5 cm long, the column pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Pedicelled spikelets 5–10 mm long, glabrous or sometimes pilose, terminating in a bristle 1–5 mm long; callus scarcely developed; pedicel-tooth 0.5–1.2 mm long, narrowly triangular or linear-oblong to subulate. Sessile spikelets 6–10 mm long; callus 1.5–2 mm long, acute to pungent; inferior glume linear-oblong, coriaceous, glabrous or sometimes pilose towards the apex, often pubescent or pilose all over, the midnerve raised between two fine longitudinal grooves; awn 2.2–5.5 cm long, the column pubescent. Homogamous spikelets 5–10 mm long, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme only, glabrous, awnless.

Pedicelled

Pedicelled spikelets 5–10 mm long, glabrous or sometimes pilose, terminating in a bristle 1–5 mm long; callus scarcely developed; pedicel-tooth 0.5–1.2 mm long, narrowly triangular or linear-oblong to subulate.