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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.
Pentameris barbata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths light brown; glabrous. Glands wart-like. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; 4–10 -noded. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute; with simple hairs, or tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20 cm long; 12 mm wide; flaccid; glandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute; with simple hairs and tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 200 fertile spikelets.
Panicle open; ovate; 11 cm long; 7 cm wide.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1.5 length of fertile spikelet; glandular; puberulous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; shiny; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 5–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 5–6 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2–2.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–11 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 3 mm long; exserted; shorter than principal. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long; yellow.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.
NOTES Arundineae. Linder.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
