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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.
Danthoniopsis aptera
HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long; 8 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–10 cm long; 6–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins crenate; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; lanceolate; 3–9.5 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–4 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent.
Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate to oblong; laterally compressed; acuminate; 9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pilose; hairy in 2 tufts; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic to ovate; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous, or chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume margins tuberculately ciliate. Lower glume apex caudate. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 9 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate to ovate; 8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; puberulous; hairy above; hairy on veins; pubescent on margins; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 5.5–6 mm long. Fertile lemma oblong; 5–5.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 8 hair tufts in all; inner surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–11 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea 5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels wingless; ciliolate.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. Phipps 2004.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
