Poaceae
Hyparrhenia

Hyparrhenia poecilotricha (Hack.) Stapf

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 309 (1919)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms up to 130 cm high.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf sheaths glabrous or very rarely loosely pilose; leaf laminas up to 30 cm × 3 mm, rigid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
False panicle up to 30 cm long, lax and open; spatheoles 4–8 cm long, linear; peduncles about as long as the spatheoles, glabrous or with whitish or yellowish hairs towards the apex; racemes 1.5–2 cm long, 4–7-awned per pair, fulvously pilose, terminally exserted, not or tardily deflexed; raceme-bases unequal, the superior 3.5–7 mm long, terete, glabrous or rarely loosely and thinly pilose, the articulation with the peduncle glabrous.
Homogamous
Homogamous spikelets similar to the pedicelled spikelets, 1 or very rarely 2 pairs at the base of the inferior raceme and 2 (or sometimes only 1) at the base of the superior, the number usually variable within the same panicle.
Sessile
Sessile spikelets 5.5–7 mm long; callus 1–2 mm long, acute to pungent; inferior glume narrowly lanceolate, pubescent with fulvous or yellow hairs; awn 2.5–4 cm long, the column rufously pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelets 4–7 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, usually with an awn-point up to 2 mm long at the apex; callus absent; pedicel-tooth up to 0.2 mm long, triangular. Sessile spikelets 5.5–7 mm long; callus 1–2 mm long, acute to pungent; inferior glume narrowly lanceolate, pubescent with fulvous or yellow hairs; awn 2.5–4 cm long, the column rufously pubescent. Homogamous spikelets similar to the pedicelled spikelets, 1 or very rarely 2 pairs at the base of the inferior raceme and 2 (or sometimes only 1) at the base of the superior, the number usually variable within the same panicle.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelets 4–7 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, usually with an awn-point up to 2 mm long at the apex; callus absent; pedicel-tooth up to 0.2 mm long, triangular.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, 0·6–1·5 m. high
Ecology
In savanna
[FWTA]

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy (rarely). Culms erect; 60-130 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 1.5-3 mm wide; stiff.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 20-30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 4-8 cm long; membranous. Peduncle 4-8 cm long; glabrous, or pilose above. Racemes 2; paired; erect; 1.5-2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2-4 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); 3.5-7 mm long; glabrous. 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number, or 4 in number (rarely); 4 in upper raceme, or 2 in upper raceme (sometimes); lanceolate; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-7 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; mucronate, or awned; one glume awned; with 0.5-2 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1-2 mm long; pubescent; base acute, or pungent; attached obliquely.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number, or 4 in number (rarely); 4 in upper raceme, or 2 in upper raceme (sometimes); lanceolate; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-7 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; mucronate, or awned; one glume awned; with 0.5-2 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 lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1-2 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 pubescent. Lower glume hairs yellow, or dark brown. 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 (rufously). Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms 60–130 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades up to 30 cm. long, 3 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Homogamous pairs 1 (very rarely 2) at the base of the lower raceme, and 2 (or sometimes only 1) at the base of the upper, the number usually variable within the same panicle. False panicle lax and open, ± 30 cm. long; spatheoles linear, 4–8 cm. long, the peduncles about as long; racemes 1.5–2 cm. long, 4–7-awned per pair, fulvous, not or sometimes tardily deflexed; raceme-bases unequal, the upper 3.5–7 mm. long, glabrous or rarely with a few hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet 5.5–7 mm. long, pubescent with fulvous or yellow hairs; callus 1–2 mm. long, acute to pungent; awn 2.5–4 cm. long, rufously pubescent. Pedicelled spikelet usually with an awn-point up to 2 mm. long.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 5.5–7 mm. long, pubescent with fulvous or yellow hairs; callus 1–2 mm. long, acute to pungent; awn 2.5–4 cm. long, rufously pubescent.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet usually with an awn-point up to 2 mm. long.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland; 0–2000 m.
Distribution
K4 K7 T1 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4 tropical and South Africa, but mainly in the eastern part of the continent
[FTEA]

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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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 2024. 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 2024. 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