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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.
Tristachya nodiglumis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths villous. Culms erect; 60–200 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 15–60 cm long; 3–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins entire.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 24–210 fertile spikelets.
Panicle open, or contracted; ovate; 12–30 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous, or villous.
Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels fused to each other; united wholly.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 18–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.5–2 mm long; pubescent; with longer hairs above; pungent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 16–24 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute to setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18–30 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; yellow to dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse, or acute, or acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 10–20 mm long; chartaceous; 5–7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 7–8 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; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 30–60 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing across body of lemma. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 10–20 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened. Palea surface pubescent.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 6 mm long. Stigmas protogynous. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
NOTES Arundinelleae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
