| Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Diheteropogon | > | amplectens |
| Synonyms: | |
| Common names: | Broad-leaved bluestem (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Caespitose, rhizomatous perennial; culms 40–200(300) cm high, erect, glaucous, often flushed with purple. Leaves glabrous, rarely densely pubescent; ligule a minutely fimbriate rim 0.5–1.5 mm long; laminas 8–30 cm × 2.5–26 mm wide at the base, flat, broadly or narrowly cordate at the base. Racemes in pairs, 5–10 cm long, exserted from the spatheoles at maturity; internodes and pedicels with short, dense, silvery-white or rarely brown hairs, the internode broadening and hollow at the apex. Sessile spikelet 5.5–8.5 mm long, very pointed and with silvery-white appressed hairs at the base; inferior glume with a deep median groove; lemma with pilose awn 3–6 cm long; anthers 3–6 mm long, straw-coloured. Pedicelled spikelet male, 8–13 mm long; inferior glume with an awn 2–11.5 mm long. |
| Notes: | var. amplectens is less common than var. catangensis in the Flora Zambesiaca area. |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | In open forest, grassland and marshy areas in rocky, sandy and clay soils |
| Altitude range: | 20 - 1800 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | D.R.C., Kenya, southwards to South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Mozambique distribution: | Z,T,MS,GI,M |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| 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 13. As Diheteropogon amplectens Cope, T.A. (2002). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(4) Pages 92 - 94. (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 amplectens 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 102. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 84 - 85. as Diheteropogon amplectens (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 135. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 85. |
| Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Diheteropogon | > | amplectens |