Poaceae
Centropodia

Centropodia fragilis (Guinet & Sauvage) Cope

First published in Kew Bull. 37: 658 (1983)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Sahara to Arabian Peninsula. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland 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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60-90(-120) cm long; 8-12 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1-1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; flat, or involute; 3-10 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent. Leaf-blade apex pungent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 15-30 cm long; 2-3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate; 4-7 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes; 1.2-1.4 mm long. Floret callus evident; 1.4-1.8 mm long; pubescent; pungent; disarticulating obliquely.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes; 1.2-1.4 mm long. Floret callus evident; 1.4-1.8 mm long; pubescent; pungent; disarticulating obliquely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume elliptic; 8-10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8-10 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 4-5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 6-8 hair tufts in all (arching upwards). Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma hairs 2-3 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.5 of lemma length; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight; 3 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 2 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.6-2.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2.2 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: north. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia.
Reference
Arundineae. Conert.
[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

    • 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