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.

Tristachya hubbardiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; pubescent. Culms erect; 100–270 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; glaucous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 12–30 cm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels free; filiform; unequal; 10–40 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 20–27 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 3 mm long; pubescent (rufously); pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume elliptic; 0.33 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 11–12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.3 of lemma length; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; subterete below; 50–100 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous.

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.