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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.
Trichoneura mollis
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 12–50 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 3–11 cm long; 3–5.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 10–40; borne along a central axis; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; 1.5–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; 0.5 their length apart.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6.2–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose; hairy at tip. Floret callus pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume linear; 4.6–7 mm long; 0.8–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–2 mm long. Upper glume linear; 5.5–7.2 mm long; 2–2.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; mid-green, or red; without keel, or keeled; lightly keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 0.6–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on back; with turgid hairs. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.3–0.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex, or concavo-convex; 1.6–2.1 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Inflorescence elliptic to oblong.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
