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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.
Dregeochloa pumila
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths coriaceous. Culms 2.5–10 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect; deciduous at the ligule; aciculate; flat, or involute; 1–3 cm long; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent. Leaf-blade apex obtuse; muticous, or pungent; apiculate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes.
Panicle contracted; 1–4 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle branches pubescent.
Racemes 1; single; multilateral; bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis pubescent on surface.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–1 mm long; bearded; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.3–0.4 length of lemma.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 8–14 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 8–14 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–5.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9–10 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 6–8 hair tufts in all. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4–8 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; 1.2 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.
NOTES Arundineae. FTA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
