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.

Dinebra polycarpha

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 38–120 cm long. Leaf-sheaths eglandular. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.75–1.8 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 5–16 cm long; 4–9.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes few; 10–32; borne along a central axis; spreading; linear; unilateral; 2.5–7 cm long; bearing many spikelets; secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 13–20 cm long. Rhachis persistent; with separately deciduous secondary branchlets; wingless; angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3.2–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; parallel to lemmas. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.1–5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.1–5 mm long; 2.5–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.3–1.6 mm long; membranous; keeled; lightly keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy all along. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy all along. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; mucronate. Palea 0.8–0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; isodiametric; trigonous; 0.8–1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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