Poaceae
Lepturus

Lepturus tenuis Balf.f.

First published in Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh 12: 97 (1883)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Socotra. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms 20-35 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 5-10 cm long; 1-2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; bilateral; 4-6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; narrowly winged; folded longitudinally to embrace spikelets; subcylindrical and excavated. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes oblong. Rhachis internode tip transverse; flat. Spikelets sunken; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-5.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 5-5.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5-12 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5-5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical.
Reference
Leptureae. TAC.
[GB]

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: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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