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| Synonyms: |
Helictotrichon elongatum (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) C.E. Hubb. |
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| Description: |
A caespitose perennial. Culm 30-125(150) cm. tall, 2-5-noded, usually simple, erect or geniculately ascending, glabrous and smooth. Leaf-sheaths striate, smooth and usually glabrous, the lowermost persistent and often tinged with brown. Ligule c. 3 mm. long, rounded, entire or sometimes lacerate. Leaf-laminae 10-40 x 0.2-0.5 cm., usually expanded, tapering to a fine point, glabrous or rarely scattered pilose. Panicle 10-38 cm. long, linear, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic, sometimes dense and with the branches more or less uppressed to the rhachis, but usually loose and open, erect or somewhat nodding; rhachis slender, flexuous; branches in groups of 2-4, filiform, scaberulous. Spikelets 8-14 mm. long, 2-3-flowered, green or purplish. Glumes firmly membranous, with the margins hyaline, acute to acuminate, usually not much shorter than the lowermost lemma; the inferior 5-10 mm. long, lanceolate-oblong, 2-3-nerved; the superior 6.5-10.5 mm. long, narrowly elliptic, 3-5-nerved. Lemmas up to 11 mm. long, chartaceous to subcartilaginous, pale green often tinged with purple, dorsally verruculose or scabrous, the 2 apical lobes either acute or drawn out into fine bristles; awn inserted dorsally around the middle, up to 20 mm. long, geniculate and twisted beneath the bend. Paleas 2/3-4/5 the length of the lemmas, narrowly oblong, with the keels ciliolate. Anthers 2.5-3.5 mm. long. Caryopsis c. 3 mm. long. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | elongatum: elongated or lengthened |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Cameroons, Congo Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Sudan Republic, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
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| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 348. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 31. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 42. As Helictotrichon elongatum and also as H. cartilagineum Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 77 - 79. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 105. As Helictotrichon elongatum Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, B., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R,J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London Page 71. |
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