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.

Tricholaena vestita

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths woolly. Culms decumbent; 14–18 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally woolly. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; woolly (tomentose). Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades spreading, or reflexed; involute; 1–3.5 cm long; 2 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy (tomentose). Leaf-blade apex acute; callose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; linear; 2.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–2 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.2–2.6 mm long; with hairs extending 0 mm beyond apex; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.2 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5(–7) -veined; pilose; ciliate on margins; truncate, or obtuse; mucronate. Palea of lower sterile floret pubescent. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; shiny; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Stigmas terminally exserted.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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