Compilation
Pennisetum kirkii

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Name

Identification
Pennisetum kirkii Stapf [family POACEAE ] Pennisetum unisetum (Nees) Benth. [family POACEAE ] (stored under name);
Related name
  • Pennisetum kirkii
  • Pennisetum unisetum

Flora

Entry for BECKEROPSIS uniseta K. Schum. [family POACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical Africa, Vol 9, page 1, (1917) Author: (By O. STAPF.)
Names
BECKEROPSIS uniseta K. Schum. [family POACEAE], in Engl. Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. B. 52 (1895), in obs.
Gymnothrix uniseta Nees [family ], Fl. Afr. Austr. 66 (1841).
Setaria dioica Hochst. [family POACEAE], in Flora, xxiv. i. Intell. 19 (1841), name only, in part.
Beckera dioica Nees [family POACEAE], in Linnæa, xvi. 219 (1842), in part.
Beckera uniseta Hochst. [family POACEAE], in Flora. xxvii. 512 (1844); Steud. Syn. Pl. Glum. i. 118 (1854).
Beckera glabrescens Steud. [family POACEAE], l.c.
Beckeria dioica Heynh. [family POACEAE], Nomencl. ii. 63 (1846).
Panicum adoënse Steud. [family POACEAE], Nomencl. ed. 2, ii. 252 (1841), name only.
Pennisetum unisetum Benth. [family POACEAE], in Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot. xix. 47, 49 (1881); Durand & Schinz. Consp. Fl. Afr. v. 786, and Études Fl. Congo, i. 328; Stapf in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vii. 437; Th. & H. Durand, Syll. Fl. Congol. 638; Maitland & C. E. Hubbard in Kew Bulletin, 1927, 295.
Pennisetum dioicum Engl. [family POACEAE], Hochgebirgsfl. Trop. Afr. 122 (in part); Durand & Schinz, Consp. Fl. Afr. v. 778 (in part); Klatt in Durand & De Wild. Mat. Fl. Congo, i. 45; Rendle in Cat. Welw. Afr. Pl. ii. 192 (excl. most of the syn.); Th. & H. Durand, Syll. Fl. Congol. 637 (excl. syn.).
Pennisetum longisetum K. Schum. [family POACEAE], in Engl. Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. C. 105 (excl. most of the syn.); Leeke in Zeitschr. Naturwiss. lxxix. 28 (Abstamm. Heim. Negerhirse), in part; not Setaria longiseta, Beauv.
Pennisetum Kirkii Stapf [family POACEAE], in Kew Bulletin, 1897, 286; Leeke, l.c. 29.
Information
Perennial, 3–12 ft. high; rhizome short, præmorse, densely silkily tomentose; innovation-buds subacute with firm ovate striate finely pubescent bud-scales. Culms up to 3–4 lin. in diameter, erect, branched, particularly from the upper nodes, or simple below, terete, or rarely semi-terete in the lower and subtriquetrous in the uppermost internodes, very firm, obscurely striate, smooth, glabrous, or hairy at the nodes, glaucous or flushed with purple; nodes 8 or more; longest internodes 1/2 to 1 ft. long. Leaf-sheaths strong, the lower and middle as long as the internodes or shorter, the upper longer, tighter, glabrous, or with a dorsal beard at the junction with the blade; ligule very short, ciliate; blade lanceolate-linear from a usually long narrow or petiole-like base, long-tapering to a setaceous point, the longest from 1/2 to almost 2 ft. long by 3–12 lin. wide, rather firm, glaucous, scabrid above, glabrous or sometimes more or less hairy, margins very rough. Racemes on long fine peduncles, 1 or several from the upper nodes, 1/2–2 in. long; rhachis angular, scabrid; pedicels up to 1/4 lin. long, at length spreading; basal bristle up to 1 1/2 or even 2 in. long. Spikelets subimbricate, oblong or lanceolate-oblong, acute or apiculate, 1 1/4–1 1/2 lin. long, often purplish; callus minute, spinulously ciliate. Glumes minute, rounded or truncate, nerveless, scaberulous; lower 1/10– 1/4 lin. long; upper 1/4– 1/2 lin. long. Lower floret: valve minutely ciliate below the tip, otherwise scaberulous or almost smooth, firmly membranous, finely 5-nerved, margins obscurely inflexed in the upper third. Upper floret: valve similar to that of the lower floret, glabrous; valvule almost as long as the valve, hyaline, 2-nerved, truncate (when expanded); lodicules broadly cuneiform, fleshy, 1/10 lin. long; anthers 3/4– 7/8 lin. long. Grain oblong, dorsally compressed, almost 1 lin. long, pale brown.
Distribution
Congo Lower Guinea Lower Congo; Lutété, Hens, A. 291! Thysville, Vanderyst, 4387! Moyen Congo; Bokala, Vanderyst, 3651! Mokaba, Vanderyst, 3777! Bata, Vanderyst, 588! Kitebe, Vanderyst, 1042! Wombali, Vanderyst, 1233! Mongalla, Demeuse ! without precise locality, S. Rhod. Dept. Agric. Herb. 3067!Angola Lower Guinea Loanda; Cazengo, in somewhat humid situations, Gossweiler, 4556! Golungo Alto; near Sange, Welwitsch, 2957! 7178! near Camilungo, on the margins of fields, Welwitsch, 7206! without precise locality, Welwitsch, 7227!Tanganyika Mozamb. Dist. Kondoa Irangi, Schellhaase, 3144! Morogoro District; Ruvu, in and on the edge of a cultivated area, 1000 ft., Greenway, 2533! 1200 ft., Haarer, 1929! Mpwapwa; Kibariani Mtns., 5500 ft., Burtt, 3942! Iringa; Mbeya District, Mbozi region, Jacobsen, 29! 30! Komora Estate, Jacobsen ! Njombe Hills, grasslands, 6500 ft., Wolfe, 9! Emson, 137! Seliman-Mampa, Busse, 2762! Kyimbilia District: Rungwe, Stolz, 1300!Nyasaland Mozamb. Dist. Kondowe, 2000–6000 ft., Whyte ! Shire Highlands, Buchanan ! Manganja country, Soche Hill, 3000 ft., Kirk ! Mount Mlanje, Adamson, 429! Zomba Rock, Whyte ! South Nyasa District; Chowe area, 2800 ft., Barker, E. 15! Chiromo, Massenjere Forest, Burtt Davy, 2246/29! Ncheese Mtn. Forest Reserve, 5000 ft., Burtt Davy, 1373! Nyika Plateau, 6000–7000 ft., Whyte, 136! without precise locality, Buchanan, 659!Northern Rhodesia Mozamb. Dist. east of Kashitu, 4500 ft., Eyles, 2854! near Mumbwa, Macaulay, 23! 27!Southern Rhodesia Mozamb. Dist. Umtali, by stream, 3500 ft., Eyles, 1672! Perrott in Herb. Eyles, 3067! Gazaland; near Chirinda, 3500 ft., Swynnerton, 414! Upper Buzi, 3000–3500 ft., Swynnerton, 983! without precise locality, Walters, 3054!Sudan Nile Land Darfur; Jebel Marra, 9200 ft., Lynes, 184! Jur; Seriba Ghattas, Schweinfurth, 2337!Abyssinia Nile Land Tigre; Mt. Sholoda, Schimper, 262! Sakla Harrisch, 7000 ft., Schimper, 1023! Debra Eski, Schimper, 1534! Anadehr, 7400 ft., Schimper, 1024! Bellaka, 6000–7000 ft., Schimper, 421! Efak, 6000 ft., Schimper, 1411!Uganda Nile Land Karamoja, Moroto Mtn., 6000–7000 ft., Liebenberg, 10! Bugwere; Kabwangasi, Liebenberg, 845! Bugishu; Simu valley, in savannah, amongst tall grasses, 5000 ft., Snowden, 1244! Bukonde, in savannah, 5000–5500 ft., Snowden, 1161! Bukalasa, Staples in Hb. Liebenberg, 1247! Mengo; Kipayo, grasslands, 4000 ft., Dummer, 446! Bulemezi, Maitland, 899! Bwamba, Liebenberg, 677! without precise locality, Maitland, 71AB! 84AB!Kenya Nile Land Turbo Valley, 6000 ft., McDonald, 1026! Soy, 6000 ft., McDonald, 1012!Ubangi-Shari North Central between Fort Crampel and Fort Sibut, Chevalier, 10734! Bessou, Chevalier, 5338!French Guinea Upper Guinea Baffing Valley, Pobéguin, 1815!Sierra Leone Upper Guinea Northern Province; Kamiototo, in orchard bush, 1100 ft., Glanville, 312!Gold Coast Upper Guinea without precise locality, by water, Beal, 30!Nigeria Upper Guinea Ida, Thomas, 1934! Ogoja Province, Rosevear, 8/30A! 19/30A!Nigeria Upper Guinea Pankshin District; Vodni, swampy land, Saunders, 4! Northern Territories; Lely, 789! Bauchi Plateau, Lely, P. 760!
Distribution (external)
Natal
Notes
The structure of the spikelets is very uniform, whilst the size of the stems, the length of the bristles, the development of the cilia at the upper end of the sheath and the hairiness or glabrousness of the sheaths vary considerably. The specimens from southern and western tropical Africa have, however, the leaves perfectly or almost glabrous. Vern. Names:— Kituntugula (Luganda); Ekituntu (Lugwere); Lidulyenge (Lugishu); Nyeki wa Weru (Kikuyu).

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