| Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Melinis | > | ambigua |
| Synonyms: | |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Caespitose or rarely tufted perennial. Culms (30)60–120(150) cm. high, erect or rarely geniculately ascending. Leaf laminae usually flat, (3.5)5–20(23) cm. long, 3–8(11) mm. wide. Panicle 9–25 cm. long, narrowly ovate. Pedicels with a few long hairs. Spikelets (2)2.4–3(3.4) mm. long, narrowly ovate. Inferior glume 0.4–1 mm. long, ovate, 0–1-nerved, inserted close to the superior; superior glume 7-nerved, usually hairy, emarginate to bilobed with an awn (0.1)0.8–4.5 mm. long. Inferior floret barren, its lemma 5-nerved with an awn (0.3)2–12 mm. long, equalling the superior glume; palea absent or when present scabrous on its keels. |
| Notes: | Leaf laminae usually flat, (3.5)5–20(23) cm. long, 3–8(11) mm. wide. Spikelets (2)2.4–3(3.4) mm. long. Inferior glume 0.4–1 mm. long; superior glume with an awn (0.1)0.8–4.5 mm. long. Inferior floret barren, its lemma with an awn (0.3)2–12 mm. long. |
| Derivation of specific name: | ambigua: doubtful, of uncertain relationship |
| Habitat: | Sandy or stony soils in open Brachystegia woodland or grassland at higher elevations, often at anthropogenic sites and streamsides |
| Altitude range: | 1000 - 2500 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Mozambique distribution: | T,MS |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 353. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 38. Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Pages 121 - 122. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 48. As Melinis ambigua and as M. eylesii 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 106. |
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