Poaceae
Hyparrhenia

Hyparrhenia filipendula (Hochst.) Stapf

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 322 (1919)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa, Madagascar, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to E. Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial arising from short scaly rhizomes; culms up to 200 cm high, branched from the inferior nodes.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf sheaths glabrous or rarely sparsely pilose with stiff white hairs; leaf laminas up to 30 cm × 4 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
False panicle 30–80 cm long, virgate, its branches slender and graceful; spatheoles 4.5–5.5 cm long, linear to almost filiform; peduncles about as long as the spatheoles, very fine and flexuous, with or without spreading white hairs above; racemes 10–12 mm long, 2–4-awned per pair, delicate, yellowish-green often tinged with violet, terminally exserted, not deflexed; raceme-bases very unequal, the superior (4)4.5–8(10) mm long, slender, glabrous.
Homogamous
Homogamous spikelets 5–7 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrous, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme and 2 pairs at the base of the superior.
Sessile
Sessile spikelets 5.5–7 mm long; callus 1.8–3 mm long, pungent; inferior glume linear-oblong, flat on the back or with the inner nerves ± raised towards the apex and with an indistinct median hollow towards the base, glabrous to villous with white hairs; awn 3–5.5 cm long, the column hirtellous with fulvous hairs 0.7–1.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelets 5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, terminating in an awnlet 1–5 mm long; callus absent; pedicel-tooth very short, triangular. Sessile spikelets 5.5–7 mm long; callus 1.8–3 mm long, pungent; inferior glume linear-oblong, flat on the back or with the inner nerves ± raised towards the apex and with an indistinct median hollow towards the base, glabrous to villous with white hairs; awn 3–5.5 cm long, the column hirtellous with fulvous hairs 0.7–1.2 mm long. Homogamous spikelets 5–7 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrous, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme and 2 pairs at the base of the superior.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelets 5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, terminating in an awnlet 1–5 mm long; callus absent; pedicel-tooth very short, triangular.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial, arising from short scaly rhizomes; culms 60–200 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades up to 30 cm. long, 4 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Homogamous pairs 1 at the base of the lower raceme, and 2 at the base of the upper. False panicle 30–80 cm. long, its branches slender and graceful; spatheoles linear to almost filiform, 4.5–5.5 cm. long, the peduncles ± as long; racemes 10–12 mm. long, 2–4-awned per pair, delicate, not deflexed; raceme-bases very unequal, the upper (4–)4.5–8(–10) mm. long, slender, glabrous.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 5.5–7 mm. long, glabrous to villous with white hairs; callus 1.8–3 mm. long, pungent; awn 3–5.5 cm. long, hirtellous with fulvous hairs 0.7–1.2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet with an awnlet 1–5 mm. long. Sessile spikelet 5.5–7 mm. long, glabrous to villous with white hairs; callus 1.8–3 mm. long, pungent; awn 3–5.5 cm. long, hirtellous with fulvous hairs 0.7–1.2 mm. long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet with an awnlet 1–5 mm. long.
Habitat
A common species of open situations in a wide range of soil and vegetation types, particularly those subject to disturbance; 200–2300 m.
Distribution
tropical and south Africa, but mainly on the eastern side of the continentMadagascarextending through Ceylon to Australia K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; scaly. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect; 60-200 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-1 mm long. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 2-4 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 30-80 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 4.5-5.5 cm long; membranous. Peduncle 4-5.5 cm long; glabrous, or pilose above. Racemes 2; paired; side by side, or end to end; erect; 1-1.2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1-2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); (4-)4.5-8(-10) mm long; glabrous, or pubescent. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; ciliate; tip oblique.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 4 in upper raceme; linear, or lanceolate; 5-7 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous to villous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous to villous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 1-5 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 5.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 1.8-3 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; attached obliquely. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 4 in upper raceme; linear, or lanceolate; 5-7 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous to villous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous to villous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 1-5 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 5.5-7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 1.8-3 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; attached obliquely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume lateral veins without ribs, or ribbed. Lower glume surface flat, or concave; glabrous to villous. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume linear; coriaceous; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 30-55 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hirtellous (fulvously); with 0.7-1.2 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose with culms 0·6–2 m. high
Ecology
In savanna.
[FWTA]

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

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    • 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