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.

Pentameris capensis

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm. Glands absent. Culms rambling; 30–35 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 12 cm long; 4 mm wide; flaccid; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 60 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–12 cm long; 3–5 cm wide. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 0.8–1 length of fertile spikelet; eglandular; smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–9 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; 6–9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; mid-green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 6–9 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; mid-green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous to villous; hairy all along, or in the middle. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; with lobes 1 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; curved; spreading; 15–23 mm long overall; without a column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 6–10 mm long; exserted; shorter than principal. Palea 1.1 length of lemma. Palea keels puberulous. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.7 mm long; yellow, or 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.