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 malouinensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm. Glands absent. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–30 cm long; 5–10 -noded. Lateral branches ample. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; flat, or convolute; 15 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; flaccid; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–50 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open, or contracted; oblong; 2–8 cm long; 0.5–3 cm wide. Panicle branches eglandular; bearded in axils.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3.5–4.5 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; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow, or mid-green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; yellow, or mid-green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface puberulous; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy on veins. Lemma apex entire; acute; muticous. Palea keels ciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2–2.2 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.