Poaceae
Stenotaphrum

Stenotaphrum dimidiatum (L.) Brongn.

First published in L.I.Duperrey, Voy. Monde, Phan.: 127 (1832)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Coastal Kenya to S. Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Indian Subcontinent to Peninsula Malaysia. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte 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; mat forming. Stolons present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms prostrate; 10-30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5-20 cm long; 5-12 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes borne along a central axis; in a unilateral false spike; sunken; unilateral; 0.7-1.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3-8 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 6-12 cm long; foliaceous (with shallow pockets); fracturing into irregular segments; tip subulate. Rhachis flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing abaxial. Spikelets sunken (in axis); solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; (3-)4-5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; (3-)4-5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1-0.3 length of upper glume; 0.1-0.3 length of spikelet; membranous; pallid; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 5 -veined; without grooves; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3.5-4.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Pacific: southwestern and south-central.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
Diagnostic
Back of inflorescence axis toothed at each node.
[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

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images