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 wasaensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 80–110 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–20 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; crenate; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pilose above.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 15–20 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–8 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent, or pilose. Panicle branches capillary; pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 2–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; bearded; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 4–5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; yellow, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex caudate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; membranous; 7 -veined; acuminate. Palea of lower sterile floret winged on keels; pubescent; adorned on keels. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 5.5–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 8 hair tufts in all. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma hairs 2–2.5 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 2 mm long; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 11–14 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 3.5–5 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; thickened; winged; narrowly winged; with clavate appendages on wings.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTA.

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