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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.
Centropodia mossamedensis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 60–80(–120) cm long; 4–7 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.2 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; involute; 5–10 cm long; 3–8 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 15–30 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate; 3–7 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–10 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 18–24 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes; 1.2 mm long. Floret callus evident; curved; 1.8–2 mm long; pubescent; pungent; disarticulating obliquely.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 17–22 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 7–11 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 17–22 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7–11 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–11 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. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma hairs 4–5 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.5–0.6 of lemma length; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 13–16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4–5 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.
NOTES Arundineae. Conert.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
