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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.
Diheteropogon microterus
HABIT Annual. Culms slender; 30–45 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.
Racemes (1–)2; paired; 4–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate; 3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with simple rim. Raceme-bases linear; 3 mm long.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels clavate; ciliate.
STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; sessile and pedicelled; equalling fertile.
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–6 mm long; longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; keeled; wingless; awned; one glume awned; with 2 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1–2 mm long; pilose; base pungent; inserted.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled dorsally; keeled sharply, or obtusely. Lower glume lateral veins several in each keel (1–2 in each); intercarinal veins absent. Lower glume surface with a longitudinal median groove, or deeply depressed. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 3 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 35–45 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous. Palea absent or minute.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.
NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
