New! - Search other data sources for Pentameris lima

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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 lima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; villous; persistent and investing base of culm. Glands raised crateriform. Culms 45 cm long; 2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 30 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; stiff; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute; muticous, or pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 100 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 8–12 cm long; 1.5 cm wide. Panicle branches pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet; glandular; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–7 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; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough generally. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 6–7 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough generally. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 6 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 2 mm long; enclosed by glumes; shorter than principal.

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

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.