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.

Dregeochloa

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms 2.5–13.12–25 cm long; rooting from lower nodes (1/1). Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades persistent (1), or deciduous at the ligule (1); aciculate; stiff. Leaf-blade apex muticous (1), or pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes (1).

Panicle contracted.

Racemes single (1/1); multilateral (1/1); bearing few fertile spikelets (1/1).

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets (1), or 6–10 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–12.25–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite. Floret callus elongated; bearded.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet (1), or reaching apex of florets (1), or exceeding apex of florets (1); thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate (1), or elliptic (1); 1–1.05–1.1 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 5 -veined, or 6–7 -veined (1). Lower glume surface without pits; puberulous (1), or pubescent (1). Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate (1), or elliptic (1); 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 5 -veined, or 6–7 -veined (1). Upper glume surface puberulous (1), or pubescent (1). Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; coriaceous; without keel; wingless; 9 -veined, or 10 -veined (1). Lemma surface unwrinkled; without grooves; glabrous (1), or pubescent (1); with a transverse row of hair tufts. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33–0.44–0.6 of lemma length; acuminate (1/1); awned; 1 -awned (1), or 3 -awned (1). Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate. Lateral lemma awns shorter than principal (1/1). Palea 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp. Embryo 0.2–0.265–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform (1/1).

DISTRIBUTION Africa.

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