Poaceae
Leptaspis

Leptaspis zeylanica Nees ex Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 8 (1853)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, Malesia to Papuasia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending; 30-100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes solid. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.25 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades inverted; oblong; 10-30 cm long; 25-60 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation slanting obliquely from midrib; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle; bracteate at branch bases. Panicle open; ovate; 10-45 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 3(-5) -nate; whorled at most nodes; 5-15 cm long. Panicle axis bearing persistent branches. Panicle branches stiff; straight; pubescent; with hooked hairs; with prominent pulvini. Sexes mixed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets pedicelled; 1 in a cluster. Pedicels linear; 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; cochleate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Male spikelets similar to female but less developed; 1 flowered; separately deciduous; 3.5-4 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; cochleate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2-3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent; with hooked hairs. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; 2-3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1(-3) -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with hooked hairs. Upper glume apex cuspidate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma orbicular; gibbous; 4-6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface pubescent; with hooked hairs. Lemma margins closed except for an apical pore; covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea linear; 0.5 length of lemma. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 2.1-2.6 mm long. Stigmas 3; terminally exserted; pubescent. Styles connate below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
sex Male
Male spikelets similar to female but less developed; 1 flowered; separately deciduous; 3.5-4 mm long. Male spikelet glumes 2.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: India, Malesia, and Papuasia.
Reference
Phareae. FTEA.
[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, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 10:1. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Stout perennial with a shallow rhizome.
Morphology Culms
Culms 0·3-1·20 m. tall, arising from a decumbent base, producing slender stilt-like roots from the lower nodes.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf-sheaths longer than the internodes, tight at first, later somewhat loose and sometimes slipping off the culms, striate, glabrous or puberulous.
Morphology Leaves Ligules
Ligule short, scarious, ciliolate.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf-laminae 10-30 x 2·5-6 cm., oblong to oblong-lanceolate, abruptly acute at the apex, asymmetrically attenuate into the 1-2·5(4) cm. long pseudo-petiole, thinly but stiffly chartaceous, green and somewhat glossy above, almost concolorous beneath, with the midrib prominent and whitish beneath, glabrous or scattered pilose, smooth; transverse venation distinct beneath.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle up to 45 x 20 cm., loose, with the branches 2-3 in a whorl; rhachis purplish-green, terete, smooth, usually glabrous; branches patent, deflexed or ascending, more rarely appressed to the rhachis.
sex Male
Male spikelets c. 4 mm. long; glumes about 1/2 as long, purplish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Hermaphrodite spikelets 4-6·5 mm. long, becoming detached and adhering like burrs by means of hooked hairs; glumes 2-3 mm. long, ovate, acuminate, often purplish. Male spikelets c. 4 mm. long; glumes about 1/2 as long, purplish.
sex Hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite spikelets 4-6·5 mm. long, becoming detached and adhering like burrs by means of hooked hairs; glumes 2-3 mm. long, ovate, acuminate, often purplish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Lemma 4-6 mm. long, conchiform, with prominent ribs; pore lateral.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis not seen.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Height
Up to 1 m. high
Morphology Leaves
The false petiole is twisted bringing the abaxial leaf surface uppermost
Morphology General Habit
Forest undergrowth.
[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Culms 30–100 cm. high, ascending from a shallow rhizome.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, 10–30 cm. long and 2.5–6 cm. broad, abruptly acute at the tip, asymmetrically narrowed into a false petiole 1–4 cm. long; ligule very short, scarious, ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle loose, up to 45 cm. long and 20 cm. wide; branches 2–3 in a whorl.
sex Male
Male spikelets 4 mm. long, the glumes half as long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Female spikelets with ovate glumes 2–3 mm. long; lemma 4–6 mm. long, reddish, shell-like, prominently 5-ribbed, the pore lateral. Male spikelets 4 mm. long, the glumes half as long.
sex Female
Female spikelets with ovate glumes 2–3 mm. long; lemma 4–6 mm. long, reddish, shell-like, prominently 5-ribbed, the pore lateral.
Figures
Fig. 7, p. 20.
Habitat
Ground layer in forest; 400–1500 m.
Distribution
throughout tropical Africa, and eastwards through Madagascar and Ceylon to Malesia and the Solomon Is. K7 T1 T3 T6 U2 U3 U4
[FTEA]

Sources

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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

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

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

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

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

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

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    • © 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images