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 laevis

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–8 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 4–5 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 4–5 in the cluster. Involucre composed of imperfect spikelets; oblong; 3.5–4.5 mm long; base obtuse; base pubescent.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; elliptic, or oblong; 3.5–4.5 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes free; coriaceous; 4–6 -veined; smooth; glabrous; acute; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume subulate; 2–3 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear, or oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma linear, or lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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