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.

Anthephora ampullacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 8–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; smooth; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 6–9 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 6–9 in the cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets; oblong; 4–5 mm long; base obtuse; base glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes free; coriaceous; thicker on margins (cartilaginous as seen from inside); 7–11 -veined; scabrous; glabrous; acute, or acuminate; muticous, or awned; with 0–4 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume subulate; 1 length of spikelet.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; puberulous; eciliate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous (above). Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous; 1-keeled.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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