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 galpinii

HABIT Perennial; cushion forming. Stolons present. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm. Glands raised crateriform. Culms 15–30 cm long; 4 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 6–18 cm long; 2–8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade margins glandular; smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 70 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 2–5 cm long; 1–3 cm wide. Panicle branches bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet; glandular; glabrous, or puberulous.

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; shiny; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–6 mm long; 1.3–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface villous; hairy at base. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 0–4 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 0–0.5 mm long; enclosed by glumes; shorter than principal.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.6 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.