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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.
Schizachyrium platyphyllum
HABIT Annual, or perennial. Culms prostrate; 60–120 cm long; (2–)3–4 mm diam. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–17 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear.
Racemes 1; single; 1–4 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform; with simple rim.
Spikelets squeezed between internode and pedicel; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels clavate; glabrous.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets rudimentary; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; awned; one glume awned; with 2–4 mm long awn.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled above; keeled frontally. Lower glume intercarinal veins obscure. Lower glume surface glabrous. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.9 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.
NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
