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 pictigluma

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous. Glands absent. Culms erect; 8–45 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 2–10 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear; 2–8 cm long; 0.8–2 cm wide. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; glandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4.5–8 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; 4.5–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 4.5–8 mm long; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2–3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4–7 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1.5–3 mm long. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 1.5–3 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.8–0.9 length of lemma. Rhachilla extension 0–0.05 length of fertile floret.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 0.4–0.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Arundineae. = Pentaschistis imatongensis, Pentaschistis minor. Linder.

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