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.

Anthephora hermaphrodita

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20–80 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 2.5–17 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hispid. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 3.5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 4 in the cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets; connate into a cup below; oblong; 6–9 mm long; base obtuse.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; ovate; 6–9 mm long; longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes united below; coriaceous; glabrous; acuminate; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume subulate; 1.7–4.2 mm long; 0.5–0.9 length of spikelet.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; scabrous; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.7–4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous; 1-keeled.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Pohl.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Involucral disc not rimmed.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.