Phragmites mauritianus Kunth

First published in Révis. Gramin. 1: 80 (1829)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa, W. Indian Ocean. It is a perennial or helophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164524/65923881

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; reed-like; 200-800 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths loose. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; 25-75 cm long; 6-40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence. Panicle open; oblong; dense; 30-50 cm long; 10-20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches profusely divided; naked below. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 3-11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7-16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5-1 mm long; bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 3-11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7-16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5-1 mm long; bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate to ovate; 0.7-1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume lanceolate to ovate; 3-5 mm long; 0.4-0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume apex cuspidate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; elliptic; 7-8 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; membranous; 3-7 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8-9 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1-3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 0.66 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 3 (2 in sterile floret). Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Africa: north, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.
Reference
Arundineae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

    • '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/
  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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