Sartidia dewinteri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 40–100 cm long; 1–2.5 mm diam.; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; striate; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades (24–)26–40(–55) cm long; 10–30 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous, or pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 15–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping; bearing 1–6 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels (2–)3.5–12.7(–20) mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 16–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.8–1.5 mm long; pilose; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–25 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–20 mm long; 1.3–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 10–15 mm long; chartaceous; light brown, or dark brown, or purple; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface with a median groove. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn (19–)25–41 mm long overall; without a column, or with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1–4 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 8–25(–31) mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 1–2 mm long; 0.1–0.15 length of lemma.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 0.8–1.6 mm long. Anthers 3; 4–6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 6–8 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.2–0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. Munday & Fish 2011.

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