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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.
Melinis ascendens
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; (28–)35–55 cm long; (0.7–)1–1.5 mm diam.; wiry. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–7(–9.5) cm long; (1–)1.8–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear; nodding; 2.5–7 cm long; 0.5–1.5(–3) cm wide. Panicle branches capillary.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; gibbous; 3–4.5(–5.2) mm long; with hairs extending (0.5–)1 mm beyond apex; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.3–0.8 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate. Upper glume oblong; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy below; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–2.5 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; 5 -veined; pilose; hairy below; emarginate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0–4(–9) mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret scabrous. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 3 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Palea cartilaginous; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long. Stigmas laterally exserted.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.
NOTES Paniceae. FTA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
