Perotis patens Gand.

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

Morphology General Habit

Glaucous annual or short-lived perennial up to 60 cm. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Dense spikes

Ecology

Roadsides and weedy places.

Morphology General Habit

Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 30-60 cm long; wiry. Ligule an eciliate membrane; erose. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate to ovate; 1-7 cm long; 3-12 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; multilateral; 5-30 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular. Spikelets spreading, or ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear to lanceolate; subterete; 1.2-2.7 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus brief; base obtuse.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear to lanceolate; subterete; 1.2-2.7 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus brief; base obtuse.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes similar; subequal in width; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.2-2.7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 9-17 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.2-2.7 mm long; 2-3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein distinct. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 9-17 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma lanceolate; 0.5-1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea hyaline.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 0.3-1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; isodiametric; biconvex; 1.7 mm long. Embryo 0.3 length of caryopsis.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

Reference

Cynodonteae. FTEA.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Loosely tufted annual or short-lived perennial up to 60 cm high, the stems tough and wiry; leaves lanceolate to narrowly ovate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Raceme 5–30 cm long, the spikelets dense, ascending or spreading horizontally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 1.2–2.7 mm long, rounded at the base and without a definite callus; glumes scaberulous to minutely hispidulous, the midnerve of the upper inconspicuous; awns flexuous, 9–17 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis terete.

Distribution

N1; tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar.

Note

Known from Somalia only from the two specimens cited, neither of which gives any indication of locality, but almost certainly from N1.

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial up to 90(150) cm tall, tough and wiry, geniculately ascending; leaf laminas 2–8(11) cm × 3–12 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 7–35 cm long, well exserted from the uppermost leaf sheath, the spikelets densely packed and ascending or horizontally spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2–2.6 mm long, rounded at the base and without a definite callus; glumes scaberulous to minutely hispidulous, with a slender, purple or carmine, flexuous awn, those of the 2 glumes similar, 8–15(25) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis terete.

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