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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.
Centotheca lappacea
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blade base tapering to the midrib; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; (3.5–)5–16(–221) cm long; (7.5–)10–30(–35) mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; 10–25 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 6–12.5(–20.5) cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–3 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising (1–)2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed, or subterete; 4–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with the pedicel.
GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–3 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume oblong; 2–4 mm long; 0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile florets with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma glabrous. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–4.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface hispid (upper lemmas retrorsely hispid); with reflexed hairs. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea oblanceolate; 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; ovate; 0.5 mm long.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate. Anthers 2; 0.4–0.7 mm long.
CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation occurs.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and northwestern.
NOTES Centotheceae. Veldkamp 2013.
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Leaf length/width ratio 4–6.9.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
