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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 scabrida
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 40–100 cm long; 1–1.2 mm diam. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.8–1.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–15 cm long; 2–6.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; oblong; 7–20 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; pubescent in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; bearing a few hairs; hairy above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.4–2.8(–3.2) mm long; with hairs extending 0.5–1.5 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; 0.2–0.8 mm long; 0.1–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate. Upper glume oblong; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. Upper glume margins scaberulous; eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex emarginate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–2 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; 5 -veined; pubescent, or pilose; hairy below; emarginate; mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1–2.4 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret scabrous. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Palea cartilaginous; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long. Stigmas laterally exserted.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and south.
NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
