Poaceae
Andropogon

Andropogon lacunosus J.G.Anderson

First published in Bothalia 8: 113 (1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Cameroon, Tanzania to Eswatini. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Straggling perennial; culms 30–60 cm. high, wiry.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 8–15 cm. long, 2–5 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 2–3, terminal, 3–6 cm. long; internodes and pedicels linear, ciliate.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 5–7 mm. long, including a callus 0.7 mm. long; lower glume lanceolate, laterally keeled, convex with a deep median groove, bearing 2-several irregularly oblong yellowish pits on either side, glabrous, narrowly winged, acuminate; upper glume with an awn 1–2 mm. long; upper lemma bifid for 1/4 its length, with an awn 8–14 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, 7–8 mm. long, with 3 prominently raised nerves and bearing 2-several pits, glabrous, acuminate. Sessile spikelet 5–7 mm. long, including a callus 0.7 mm. long; lower glume lanceolate, laterally keeled, convex with a deep median groove, bearing 2-several irregularly oblong yellowish pits on either side, glabrous, narrowly winged, acuminate; upper glume with an awn 1–2 mm. long; upper lemma bifid for 1/4 its length, with an awn 8–14 mm. long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, 7–8 mm. long, with 3 prominently raised nerves and bearing 2-several pits, glabrous, acuminate.
Habitat
Swampy places; 1800 m.
Distribution
T7
[FTEA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Perennial up to 60 cm. high
Ecology
Wet places.
[FWTA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms rambling; 30-60 cm long; wiry. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 8-15 cm long; 2-5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal. Racemes 2-3; paired, or digitate; 3-6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; ciliate.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7-8 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 3 -veined (raised); lacunose; glabrous; acuminate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square, or oblong; 0.7 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7-8 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 3 -veined (raised); lacunose; glabrous; acuminate; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square, or oblong; 0.7 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface convex and with a longitudinal median groove; lacunose (2 or more pits). Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8-14 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[GB]

Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Small, delicate, decumbent straggling perennial; culms up to 40 cm high, unbranched; internodes compressed.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf sheaths hairy; ligule a very short (c. 1 mm) minutely fringed membrane; laminas 6–16 cm × 3–4 mm, spreading, flat, glabrous, tapering to a very fine point at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes in terminal pairs, 2.5–5 cm long, clearly exserted from the spatheoles only at maturity; peduncles much longer than the racemes; internodes and pedicels filiform, ciliate on both margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets similar, 5–7.5 mm long (the pedicelled slightly the longer and tinged with purple); inferior glumes of both irregularly pitted between the nerves, narrowly winged, glabrous. Pedicelled spikelet male. Sessile spikelet: inferior glume with a deep median groove, convex on the back, bifid at the apex; superior lemma bifid to about the middle; awn geniculate, 14.5–16.5 mm long; anthers 3–3.5 mm long, straw-coloured.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet: inferior glume with a deep median groove, convex on the back, bifid at the apex; superior lemma bifid to about the middle; awn geniculate, 14.5–16.5 mm long; anthers 3–3.5 mm long, straw-coloured.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet male.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0