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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 scabra
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths glabrous. Glands wart-like, or raised crateriform. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–40 cm long; 20–50 -noded. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3.5–10 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins eglandular, or glandular; smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–150 fertile spikelets.
Panicle open; ovate; 1.5–4 cm long; 1–4 cm wide. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils (rarely).
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1.5 length of fertile spikelet; glandular; glabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 5–7 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; 5–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough below. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 5–7 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough below. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.3 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 12–14 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 5–6 mm long; exserted; shorter than principal. Palea surface glabrous, or villous.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2.3–3 mm long; brown, or purple.
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.
