Home | > | List of families | > | Cyperaceae | > | Scleria | > | melanomphala |
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Description: |
Robust tussock forming perennial 0.6-2.4 m tall, from a thick rhizome 4-6 mm wide, with very short internodes; stems glabrous but minutely to strongly scabrid on the angles. Leaves evenly spaced along culms, with margins smooth. Inflorescences of 1 terminal and 5-9 lateral often drooping lanceolate panicles 2-10 cm long., 1-3 cm wide, borne singly or 2-3 at the nodes on pendulous peduncles exerted up to 30 cm from the sheaths. Nutlets white and shiny, usually with a blue-black apex, ovoid 3.7-4(-5) mm long. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | melanomphala: dark navel, presumable referring to the dark apex of the seed. |
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Worldwide distribution: | Zambia; tropical Africa to Angola and South Africa, Madagascar, South America |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,E,S |
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Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 303. Gordon-Gray, K.D. (1995). Cyperaceae in Natal Strelitzia 2 Page 184. Hoenselaar, K., Verdcourt, B. & Beentje, H.J. (2010). Cyperaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 411 - 412. 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 89. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 121. |
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