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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Pentameris trifida

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm. Basal innovations intravaginal. Glands elongated. Culms erect; 8–20 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.25 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 2–5 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 15–35 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–7.5 cm long; 4–6 cm wide. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous; glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4.5–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.6–0.8 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 1.8–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.4–2.8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy between veins. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.5 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 18–24 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 5.5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 6–8 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 3 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; veined. Anthers 3; 0.9–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Galley 2008.

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