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.

Trichopteryx stolziana

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 2–30 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate to ovate; 0.5–1.5 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; crenate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; obovate; dense; 0.5–3 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous, or ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus 0.1 mm long; pilose; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous, or setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.5–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous, or setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate to ovate; 3.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 2 hair tufts in all. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 7–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 3–5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 3–6 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Anthers 2; oblong; 0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTEA.

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