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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 pyrophila
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Glands absent. Culms 20–60 cm long; 3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 6–20 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide; stiff; eglandular. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute; muticous, or pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 50 fertile spikelets.
Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 2.5–8 cm long; 1.5–6 cm wide. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils, or pubescent in axils, or bearded 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; 10–12 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; 10–12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 10–12 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; yellow; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. 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. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 1 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 12–13 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 4–6 mm long; equalling glumes; shorter than principal. Palea surface pubescent.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 3.5–4 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.
