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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.
Zonotriche brunnea
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–12 fertile spikelets.
Panicle open; ovate; 2–3 cm long; bearing few spikelets (2–4 triads). Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle axis bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Panicle branches capillary; abruptly recurved near tip.
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; 13 mm long; falling entire; deciduous in a cluster with fused pedicels; readily shedding fertile florets; pedicel base hooked. Floret callus evident; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner above; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface hispid; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 11 mm long; chartaceous; 5 -veined; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; 7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 8 hair tufts in all. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; with lobes 1.5 mm long; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 9 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels thickened; winged; narrowly winged. Palea surface pubescent.
FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. Phipps 1992.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
