Hyparrhenia quarrei Robyns

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or woolly. Culms erect; 100-200 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long. Leaf-blades 20-40 cm long; 2-5 mm wide; stiff; glaucous.

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; 3-5 cm long; membranous; brown, or red. Peduncle 4-6 cm long; pilose above. Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 1.5-2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3-5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear; 2-3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 2-3.5 mm long; hirsute, or 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; toothed (0.1-0.5mm).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme, or 2 in upper raceme; lanceolate; equalling 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; 5-7 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5-5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear, or cuneate; 0.7-1.2 mm long; pubescent; base acute; attached obliquely.

Sterile

Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme, or 2 in upper raceme; lanceolate; equalling 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; 5-7 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute; muticous. 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; 4.5-5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear, or cuneate; 0.7-1.2 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 pubescent to 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; 18-36 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent; with 0.2-0.5 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, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

Reference

Andropogoneae. WDC.

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial, the basal sheaths usually white pubescent, sometimes glabrous, rarely tomentose; culms 100–200 cm. high.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades up to 40 cm. long, 5 mm. wide, glaucous, harsh.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

False panicle ± 30 cm. long, narrow, moderately dense; spatheoles linear, 3–5 cm. long, russet coloured, the peduncles a little longer; racemes 1.5–2 cm. long, 6–10-awned per pair, white hairy, at least some of them deflexed; raceme-bases unequal, the upper 2–3.5 mm. long, hirsute, sometimes with a few stiff bristles or glabrous. Homogamous pairs 1 at the base of the lower or both racemes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Sessile spikelet 4.5–5.5 mm. long, pubescent to villous with white hairs; callus linear to slenderly cuneate, 0.7–1.2 mm. long; awn 1.8–3.6 cm. long, pubescent with hairs 0.2–0.5 mm. long. Pedicelled spikelet pubescent to villous, muticous.

Sessile

Sessile spikelet 4.5–5.5 mm. long, pubescent to villous with white hairs; callus linear to slenderly cuneate, 0.7–1.2 mm. long; awn 1.8–3.6 cm. long, pubescent with hairs 0.2–0.5 mm. long.

Pedicelled

Pedicelled spikelet pubescent to villous, muticous.

Habitat

Deciduous bushland, wooded grassland and the margins of upland evergreen forest; 990–2900 m.

Distribution

K3 K4 K6 T1 T2 T7 T8 scattered throughout tropical and South Africa, but mainly in the southern half of the continentalso, probably introduced, in Australia

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

Morphology General Habit

Tufted, with culms 1–2 m. high

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades up to 5 mm. broad

Ecology

Roadsides, clearings and disturbed sites.

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial; culms up to 200 cm high.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Leaf sheaths at the base of the plant usually white-pubescent, sometimes glabrous, rarely tomentose; leaf laminas up to 40 cm × 5 mm, rigid, glaucous, harsh.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

False panicle c. 30 cm long, narrow, moderately dense; spatheoles 3–5 cm long, linear, russet coloured; peduncles flexuous, a little longer than the spatheoles, with spreading white tubercle-based hairs above; racemes 1.5–2 cm long, 6–10-awned per pair, white-hirsute, terminally exserted, at least some of them deflexed; internodes 2–3 mm long; raceme-bases unequal, the superior 2–3.5 mm long, hirsute, sometimes with a few stiff bristles or sometimes glabrous.

Homogamous

Homogamous spikelets similar to the pedicelled spikelets, a single pair at the base of the inferior or both racemes.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Sessile spikelets 4.5–5.5 mm long; callus 0.7–1.2 mm long, linear to narrowly cuneate; inferior glume narrowly lanceolate, pubescent to villous with white hairs; awn 1.8–3.6 cm long, the column pubescent with hairs 0.2–0.5 mm long. Homogamous spikelets similar to the pedicelled spikelets, a single pair at the base of the inferior or both racemes. Pedicelled spikelets 5–7 mm long, linear-lanceolate, pubescent to villous, acute and muticous at the apex; callus absent; pedicel-tooth 0.1–0.5 mm long, subulate.

Sessile

Sessile spikelets 4.5–5.5 mm long; callus 0.7–1.2 mm long, linear to narrowly cuneate; inferior glume narrowly lanceolate, pubescent to villous with white hairs; awn 1.8–3.6 cm long, the column pubescent with hairs 0.2–0.5 mm long.

Pedicelled

Pedicelled spikelets 5–7 mm long, linear-lanceolate, pubescent to villous, acute and muticous at the apex; callus absent; pedicel-tooth 0.1–0.5 mm long, subulate.