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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 ampla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; pallid; glossy; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm. Glands elongated. Culms 40–70 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 30 cm long; 1–6 mm wide; flaccid; glandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 100 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–17 cm long; 6–17 cm wide. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or pubescent in axils.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3.4–4.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; shiny; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 3.4–4.6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 3.4–4.6 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2–3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; muticous. Palea surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.2 mm long; brown.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Linder.

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