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Descriptions

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

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

Pogonarthria squarrosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–150 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.25–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 4–33 cm long; 2–5.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; spreading, or ascending; straight, or arcuate; unilateral; 1–6.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 11–44 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 3.3–7.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating separately. Rhachilla internodes pubescent; hairy at tip.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8–1.5 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.6–4.2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets decreasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 2–3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea elliptic; 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; trigonous; 0.5–0.75 mm long. Embryo 0.3–0.4 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.