New! - Search other data sources for Rytidosperma tenue

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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.

Rytidosperma tenue

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths light brown. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms 10–25 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 7–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle contracted; linear; 1–7 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–7.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.7–1 mm long. Floret callus evident; 0.2–0.3 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7.4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7.4 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.7–3.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with basal hair tufts near margin and with a transverse row of hair tufts. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.7–1.2 mm long; incised 0.25–0.33 of lemma length; setaceously attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or geniculate; 1.5–2.5 mm long overall; without a column, or with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea 2.5 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.6–0.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia. Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Arundineae. Connor & Edgar 1993.

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