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.

Tribolium tenellum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 2–8 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curled; convolute; 0.5–1.5 cm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; ovate; 0.5–2 cm long; 0.5–1.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long. Floret callus evident; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–7 mm long; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous; with a transverse row of hair tufts and with marginal hair tufts; bearing 12–16 hair tufts in all. Lemma hairs 1–1.2 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with ovate lobes; incised 0.5 of lemma length; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 3–4 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1.3–1.6 mm long. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 1.4–1.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; concavo-convex; 0.8 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.25 length of caryopsis. Endosperm flinty.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Conert.

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