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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 kallimorpha
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; slender; 30–100 cm long; (0.5–)0.7–1.4(–1.8) mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.6–1.1(–1.4) mm long. Leaf-blades 3–15 cm long; 1–3(–5) mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear, or oblong; 5–12 cm long; 1–2(–3) cm wide.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 3–5 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes (0.4–0.8mm).
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.5–1.5 mm long; 0.15–0.3 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate. Upper glume oblong; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; of similar consistency above; dark brown; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below; without hair tufts, or with a dorsal tuft of hair. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex emarginate and rostrate; muticous (rarely), or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3–10 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; of similar consistency above; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below; emarginate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 3–10 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret pilose. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Palea cartilaginous; without keels.
FLOWER Stigmas laterally exserted.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
