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 schinzii

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; 12–35 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–10 cm long; 4–6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; crenate. Leaf-blade apex acute; callose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; flexuous; 3–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous; 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; elliptic; 4–5 mm long; base obtuse; base villous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes free; coriaceous; 7–13 -veined; scaberulous (above); pubescent to villous (below); entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; setaceously attenuate; muticous, or awned; with 0–5 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 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; 3–3.5 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, or oblong; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–6 -veined; puberulous; ciliate on margins; bearing hairs 2–3 mm long; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Sterile glume convex below, recurved above.

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