Poaceae
Sorghastrum

Sorghastrum nudipes Nash

First published in N.L.Britton & al. (eds.), N. Amer. Fl. 17: 129 (1912)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Tropical & S. Africa, NE. Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 55-120 cm long; 1-2.5 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths 7-20 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 15-25 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 2-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle 15-30 cm long. Panicle open; oblong; 10-30 cm long. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches capillary. Racemes bearing a triad of spikelets, or few fertile spikelets; 1-3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Rhachis internodes filiform. Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster, or 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 3-6 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5-7.5(-9) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5-7.5(-9) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous, or coriaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins distinct. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous, or coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 5-6.5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins; dentate; 2 -fid. Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5-5.3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or geniculate; 12-18 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3; 3-4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis 2-3 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, southern tropical, and south. North America: Mexico.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Davila 1993.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • 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 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/