Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Olyra | > | latifolia |
Synonyms: |
Olyra brevifolia Schumach. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Robust perennial. Culms 1-5m tall, many-noded, usually branched, erect straggling or arching, usually glossy. Leaf-sheaths striate, rather tight, inconspicuously keeled in the upper part, glabrous or scattered pilose, the mouth always shortly ciliate. Ligule rather short, truncate, often lacerate, broader than the base of the pseudo-petiole. Leaves up to 20 × 7 cm, glaucus, glabrous, ovate-oblong with a long drip-tip, contracted at the base into a short hairy pseudo-petiole. Inflorescence a panicle, 7-18 cm long, terminal (rarely with a laterally arising one from the axil of the uppermost leaf), erect, usually contracted, narrowly triangular in outline; rhachis angular, sometimes hairy; branches simple or divided. Pedicels of the male spikelets filiform, of the female spikelets conspicuously clavate. male spikelets laterally arranged, 3-6 mm. long, linear-lanceolate, acuminate; lemma awned; anthers c. 2·5 mm. long. female spikelets 7-10 mm. long, rather turgid; inferior glume c. 7-9 mm. long, acuminate, 5-7-nerved; the superior almost twice as long, tapering into a long flexuous cauda, 7-9-nerved; floret bony, whitish, glossy, shed without the persistent glumes. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | latifolia: broad-leaved |
Habitat: | In shade in evergreen and riverine forest, along streams and roadsides. |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in tropical Africa as far as NE Cape, South Africa. Also in Madagascar and tropical America. |
Mozambique distribution: | N,Z,MS,GI |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Saturday 30 April 2016 |
Literature: |
Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 49. Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 24 - 25. (Includes a picture). 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 107. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 150. |
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