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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.
Cynosurus balansae
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 40–100 cm long. Culm-nodes brown. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–6 mm long; lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 3–8 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle spiciform; oblong; secund; 1.5–6 cm long; 0.9–1.5 cm wide. Panicle axis angular; glabrous. Panicle branches scaberulous.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; ovate; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 6–10; exserted from glumes; 3–5 mm long; 1-awned; with 2–4 mm long awn.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2 mm long. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 5–9 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.
NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
