New! - Search other data sources for Anthoxanthum madagascariense

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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.

Anthoxanthum madagascariense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms erect; 15–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 2.5–10 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; stiff; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 3–8 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; male; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined; pubescent; emarginate; mucronate. Awn of lower sterile floret 1 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 4.5 mm long; chartaceous; pubescent; dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 4–5 mm long. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea oblong; 1 length of lemma; 1 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2; 2 mm long. Stigmas 2; protogynous; pubescent.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Aveneae. Stapf 1994.

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