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 calviniensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms 15–25 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or scanty. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades erect; aciculate; convolute; 1–6 cm long; 0.6–1 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade apex acute; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 3–5 cm long; 1 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 1.2–4 mm long; bearded; with longer hairs above; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.3–0.4 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–14 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 6 hair tufts in all. Lemma hairs 2–2.5 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.5–0.6 of lemma length; acuminate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 1.5 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 3.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free brittle pericarp; 2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.2–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Conert.

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