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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Pentameris distichophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Lateral branches sparse; arising from lower culm. Leaf-sheaths pubescent, or woolly. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curled; flat, or conduplicate, or convolute; 10–25 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; firm. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–17 mm long; 6–10 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent; obtuse; disarticulating obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 12–15 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–15 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 1.5–3 mm long; incised 0.5 of lemma length; acuminate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 4–5 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea oblong; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back and on flanks. Rhachilla extension 0.2 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous, or ciliate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Chippindall.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.