Poaceae
Hyparrhenia

Hyparrhenia pilgeriana C.E.Hubb.

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1928: 39 (1928)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to KwaZulu-Natal. 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
Laxly caespitose perennial arising from a short rhizome clad in scaly white cataphylls; culms up to 60 cm high and 1–2 mm in diameter, slender, weakly ascending or untidily rambling.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf laminas 5–10(15) cm × 2–4 mm, usually rather thin, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
False panicle 5–30 cm long, open and scanty, often only with 10–20 raceme-pairs but sometimes denser with more numerous pairs; spatheoles 2–3 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, reddish-brown, glabrous; peduncles 0.9–3 cm long, from half as long as to slightly longer than the spatheole, pilose with yellow or sometimes white hairs above; racemes 1–1.5 cm long, (4)6–7-awned per pair, exserted laterally with or without a sinuous hook in the peduncle, not or tardily deflexed; raceme-bases subequal and up to 0.5 mm long, or rather unequal with the superior up to 1.5 mm long, subterete, typically with a scarious rim up to 0.2 mm long at the summit, or rarely with a short appendage up to 0.5 mm long.
Homogamous
Homogamous spikelets 4–5.5 mm long, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme only, glabrous except for the ciliolate margins.
Sessile
Sessile spikelets 3.5–5 mm long; callus 0.4–0.7 mm long, oblong or sometimes square, broadly rounded at the apex; inferior glume lanceolate, glabrous or white-puberulous; awn 0.7–1.7 cm long, the column white-puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelets 4–4.5 mm long, purple, glabrous, awnless or with a short awn-point up to 1.5 mm long; callus scarcely developed; pedicel-tooth obscure. Sessile spikelets 3.5–5 mm long; callus 0.4–0.7 mm long, oblong or sometimes square, broadly rounded at the apex; inferior glume lanceolate, glabrous or white-puberulous; awn 0.7–1.7 cm long, the column white-puberulous. Homogamous spikelets 4–5.5 mm long, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme only, glabrous except for the ciliolate margins.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelets 4–4.5 mm long, purple, glabrous, awnless or with a short awn-point up to 1.5 mm long; callus scarcely developed; pedicel-tooth obscure.
[FZ]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes short; scaly. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent, or rambling; slender; 30-60 cm long; 1-2 mm diam. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long. Leaf-blades 5-10(-15) cm long; 2-4 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 6-25 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole lanceolate; 2-3 cm long; membranous; brown, or red; glabrous. Peduncle straight, or deflexed; 0.9-3 cm long; pilose above. Racemes 2; paired; spreading, or erect; 1-1.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing (2-)3-4 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 flattened; subequal, or unequal (the longer measured); 0.5-1.5 mm long; stiffly setose; unappendaged, or shortly lobed. 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 4-5.5 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous; ciliate on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-4.5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; one glume awned; with 0-1.5 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square, or oblong; 0.4-0.7 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse; attached obliquely.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 4-5.5 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous; ciliate on margins; lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-4.5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; one glume awned; with 0-1.5 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 lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square, or oblong; 0.4-0.7 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse; 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 surface glabrous, or puberulous. 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; 7-17 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous; with 0.2-0.4 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.
[GB]

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, forming lax tufts from a short, scaly rhizome; culms slender, 30–60 cm. high, 1–2 mm. diameter, weakly ascending or untidily straggling.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 5–10(–15) cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Homogamous pairs 1 at the base of the lower raceme only. False panicle 5–30 cm. long, open and scanty, often with only 10–20 raceme-pairs but sometimes denser and with more numerous pairs; spatheoles narrowly lanceolate, 2–3 cm. long, reddish brown, the peduncles from 1/2 to slightly exceeding the spatheole, pilose with yellow or sometimes white hairs towards the tip; racemes 1–1.5 cm. long, (4–)6–8-awned per pair, not or tardily deflexed; raceme-bases stiffly bearded, subequal flattened and up to 0.5 mm. long, or rather unequal with the upper subterete and up to 1.5 mm. long, typically with a scarious frill up to 0.3 mm. long at the tip.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 3.5–5 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous; callus oblong or sometimes square, 0.4–0.7 mm. long, obtusely rounded at the base; awn 0.7–1.7 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet glabrous, purple, awnless or with an awn-point up to 1.5 mm. long. Sessile spikelet 3.5–5 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous; callus oblong or sometimes square, 0.4–0.7 mm. long, obtusely rounded at the base; awn 0.7–1.7 cm. long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet glabrous, purple, awnless or with an awn-point up to 1.5 mm. long.
Habitat
Seasonal swamps, forest margins and grassy slopes of the uplands, sometimes descending to deciduous bushland, wooded grassland or old fallow land at lower altitudes; 800–2700 m.
Distribution
K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T4 T7 U1 U2 U3 U4 eastern Africa from Ethiopia to Malawi, with scattered records southward to Natal
[FTEA]

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

  • 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