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.

Capeochloa setacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb. Culms erect; 73–100 cm long; 3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–0.75 mm long. Leaf-blades aciculate; involute; 10–15 cm long; 1 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 50–100 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 10–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3(–4) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; 4–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 8.5–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface glabrous; with marginal hair tufts; bearing 2 hair tufts in all. Lemma margins eciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 3 mm long. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 5 mm long. Palea obovate; 4.5–5.5 mm long. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins; hairy in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; 1–1.8 mm long; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5–2.75 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Barker 2002.

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