| Synonyms: |
Andropogon ascinodis C.B. Clarke Andropogon lindiensis Pilg. Andropogon patris Robyns Andropogon pseudoschinzii Stapf Andropogon schinzii Hack. Andropogon sylvaticus C.E. Hubb. Homoeatherum chinense Nees |
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| Description: |
Caespitose perennial; culms up to 170 cm high, erect, branched, often glaucous. Leaf sheaths glabrous, with well developed auricles; ligule a short (1.5–4 mm) minutely fringed membrane; laminas 7–20 cm × 5–8 mm, very often involute, tapering to a very fine point. Racemes in pairs, 3.5–9.5 cm long, exserted from the spatheoles only at maturity, silvery with white hairs; peduncles much longer than the racemes at maturity; internodes and pedicels strongly clavate with cilia up to 6 mm long on both margins, the pedicel bilobed at the apex. Sessile spikelet 6–8 mm long, strongly compressed between internode and pedicel, the short callus shallowly inserted; inferior glume with a deep median groove, loosely pilose; superior glume convex on the back, 2-toothed at the tip and with an awn 5–9 mm long; superior lemma bifid to the middle; awn geniculate, 24–30 mm long; anthers 2.2–3.5 mm long, straw-coloured. Pedicelled spikelet male, 4.5–7 mm long; inferior glume loosely pilose, often 2-toothed at the apex, usually purplish-orange, with an awn 3.5–7 mm long; superior glume often with an awn 0.7–5 mm long. |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | chinensis: of China |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Arabian Peninsula, widespread in tropical and southern Africa, from India to China |
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| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 4. Cope, T.A. (2002). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(4) Pages 70 - 71. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 28. As Andropogon schinzii, A. pseudo-schinzii and A. sylvaticus 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 99. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 190. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 129. |