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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.
Saccharum perrieri
HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; robust; 120–200 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths as wide as blade at the collar; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 80 cm long; 10 mm wide; firm. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme.
Panicle 20–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3–6 cm long.
Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet; ciliate.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; as long as fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes 7 -veined. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1-awned.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate.
GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; yellow; 2-keeled; 1–5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume margins scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4.3–4.8 mm long; hyaline; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5 mm long; hyaline. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 9–10 mm long overall; with twisted column.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Camus 1998.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
