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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.
Melinis nerviglumis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 15–120 cm long; (0.7–)1–2(–2.4) mm diam.; 4–6 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs; (0.3–)0.4–0.7(–1.5) mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute, or convolute; 5–30 cm long; 2–3(–4.5) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear, or oblong; dense; 4–30 cm long; 1.5–5(–11) cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; pubescent in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous, or bearing a few hairs; hairy above.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; (3–)4–5 mm long; with hairs extending 1–4 mm beyond apex; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below basal sterile floret.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.2–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume surface villous; hairy below. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–3 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; 5 -veined; glabrous, or villous; hairy below; bearing white hairs, or purple hairs; emarginate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 2–6 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret pilose. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Palea cartilaginous; without keels.
FLOWER Stigmas laterally exserted.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.
NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
