| Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Phyllorachis | > | sagittata |
| Synonyms: | |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
A loosely caespitose perennial (but frequently flowering in the first year), often of a shrubby habit. Culms up to 130 cm. tall, decumbent, rarely erect, terete, many-noded, branched, retrorsely scabrid or sometimes smooth; nodes stiffly retrorse-pilose to pubescent. Leaves evenly distributed over the culm. Leaf-sheaths coarsely striate, usually tight, sometimes slipping off the culm, retrorsely hispid to scabrid. Leaf-laminae slightly asymmetric, 3·5-12 x 1·5-2·2 (2·7) cm., lanceolate, narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, base sagittate, apex acute to acuminate, scabrid, sometimes with scattered stiff hairs along the nerves, margins often ciliate; auricles up to 12 mm. long, acute or subobtuse; pseudo-periole 0·5-2·5 mm. long. Inflorescences terminal, (3)4·5-12 cm. long, erect, straight or slightly curved, pale green; main axis flattened, 3-9 mm. wide; individual racemes up to 20 in number, 6-10 mm. long, with the rhachis c. 2·5 mm. wide. Spikelets of the axillary inflorescences up to 25 mm. long, their stigmas up to 25 mm. long or more. Male spikelets 5·5-8 mm. long, lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong in outline. Female spikelets narrowly ovate, slightly asymmetric, up to 16 mm. long, often scabrid. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | sagittata: arrow-shaped, sagittate |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | West-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical Africa. |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | N |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 54. Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 37 - 38. As Phyllorhachis sagittata (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 108. |
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