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.

Tripogon leptophyllus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10–55 cm long; 1 -noded. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 3–28 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; linear; straight; unilateral; 3–18 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.5–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; glabrous. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–4.7 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.3–5 mm long; 1–1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.2–3.3(–4) mm long; membranous; dark green, or grey; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins extending close to apex. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or flexuous; 1.8–4 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.85–1.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Launert.

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