|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Andropogon greenwayi
HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 15–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat; 3–10 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.
Racemes 2(–5); paired; 3–7 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes filiform, or linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.
Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform, or linear; ciliate.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5–10 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; acute, or acuminate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6.5–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 4–10 in number. Lower glume surface convex, or with a longitudinal median groove. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–4 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 14–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
