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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Pentameris praecox

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Glands absent. Culms 30–60 cm long; 3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 30 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; stiff; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 30 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; linear; 4–12 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8.5–11 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; 8.5–11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; light brown; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 8.5–11 mm long; 1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; light brown; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy in lines. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 1.8–2.2 mm long; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 3–5 mm long; equalling glumes; shorter than principal.

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