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.

Sartidia jucunda

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths dark brown. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes solid. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20–45 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 20–35 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate; bearing 1–6 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 15–23 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–3 mm long; pubescent; with longer hairs above; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–23 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; light brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–23 mm long; 1.2–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; light brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; flat below; 20–45 mm long overall; without a column. Lateral lemma awns gyrate; 20–45 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 2 mm long; 0.15 length of lemma.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 6 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; dorsally compressed; sulcate on hilar side; 10 mm long. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter.

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