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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 alticola

HABIT Perennial; short-lived; cushion forming. Butt sheaths light brown; glabrous. Glands absent. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–30 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Lateral branches sparse. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curled; filiform; convolute; 3–8 cm long; 0.2–0.5 mm wide; firm, or flaccid; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–20 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 1.5–3 cm long; 1–2 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches eglandular; bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1.5 length of fertile spikelet; eglandular; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; light brown; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1.6–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; light brown; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy at base. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate; hairy at base. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.3 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 7–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 1.5–3 mm long; equalling glumes; shorter than principal.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2 mm long; brown.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Linder 1992.

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