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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 pungens

HABIT Perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous, or sparsely hairy; persistent and investing base of culm. Glands absent. Culms erect; 20–50 cm long; 10–20 -noded. Lateral branches ample. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 12 cm long; 4 mm wide; stiff; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute; muticous, or pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 20–50 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 4–8 cm long; 1.5–2.5 cm wide. Panicle branches eglandular; pubescent in axils.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 11–15 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; 11–15 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 11–15 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy on veins. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 1–1.5 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 17–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 7–9 mm long; equalling glumes; shorter than principal. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 3.3–4 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.