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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 schweinfurthii
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Roots simple (black). Culms erect; 60–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 3–5 cm long.
Racemes 1; single; 3–5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins, or pubescent on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform; with scarious rim.
Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; 2.5–3.5 mm long; glabrous, or puberulous.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1–2; enclosed by glumes.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; inserted.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 3–5 in number. Lower glume surface flat; glabrous. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 16–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and northeast tropical.
NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
