Adenochloa ecklonii (Nees) Zuloaga

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms slender; 15-80 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; (6-)10-20(-26) cm long; 3-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy, or moderately hairy, or densely hairy; with capitate hairs and tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate, or attenuate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 6-12(-18) cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches capillary; glabrous, or pilose; with clavellate hairs. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5-3.5 mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5-3.5 mm long; falling entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.25-0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex lobed; 3 -fid. Upper glume oblong; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex lobed; 3-5 -fid.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pilose; hairy above (tip); lobed; (3-)5 -fid. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; coriaceous; pallid, or red (pink); without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; coriaceous.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial with a caespitose, occasionally fibrous, sparsely pilose to silky pubescent base, culms 15–80 cm. high, slender.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly basal; sheaths with both fine and clavellate hairs; blades linear-lanceolate, (6–)10–20(–26) cm. long, 3–8 mm. wide, tapering at the base, sparsely to densely pilose with tubercle-based, fine hairs, occasionally with sparse glandular hairs, acute to setaceously acute at the tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle oblong or ovate, 6–12(–18) cm. long, glabrous or clavellate-hairy, the delicate branches ascending or spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets oblong, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, glabrous except for the pilose tip, often purple tinged; lower glume 1/4–1/2 the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved, pectinate; upper glume 2/3 as long as the spikelet, 5-nerved, pectinate; lower lemma 3/4 to as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, pectinate, sterile, its palea absent; upper lemma often tinged pink, the margins hyaline and produced into an apical flap, its palea similar.

Habitat

Grassland on sandy rocky soils; 1200–2700 m.

Distribution

W. AfricaZaire to South Africa T4 T7 T8

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

Morphology General Habit

A densely caespitose perennial about 30 cm. high.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial, usually densely pubescent at the base.

Morphology Culms

Culms 15–80 cm. high, erect, simple.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves mostly basal, pilose with both simple and gland-tipped hairs; laminae 5–18(27) × 0.1–0.9 cm., linear to lanceolate, flat, bluntly to setaceously acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 6–12(18) cm. long, oblong or ovate, glabrous or clavellate-hairy, moderately to much-branched, the branches ascending or spreading usually fine and flexuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2.5–3.5 mm. long, oblong, glabrous except for the puberulous apex; inferior glume 1/5–1/2 the length of the spikelet, 3-nerved, pectinate; superior glume 1/2–3/4 the length of the spikelet, 5-nerved, pectinate; inferior lemma 3/4 to as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, pectinate; sterile; superior lemma and palea glossy, puberulous at the apex.