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 cincta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms reed-like; 100–200 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 50–100 cm long; 5–15 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 20–40 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–13 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–13(–18) mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous; with a transverse row of hair tufts; bearing 8 hair tufts in all. Lemma hairs 5–7(–12) mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with linear lobes; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; simple at base; 5–14 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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