Danthoniopsis lignosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths sparsely hairy to villous. Culms erect; 150–200 cm long; woody. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 25–50 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 10–16 cm long; 2.5–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate; 2–4 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches flexuous; scaberulous; glabrous to pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 1–3 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; bearded; hairy on the margins; truncate. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; yellow, or purple; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of spikelet; chartaceous; yellow, or purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 5–6 mm long; membranous; 7–9 -veined; puberulous; acuminate; mucronate. Palea of lower sterile floret pubescent; adorned on keels. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 11 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 8 hair tufts in all. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma hairs 2 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 7–8 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 2 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; thickened; winged; narrowly winged.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Arundinelleae. CEH.

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