Hyparrhenia anamesa Clayton [family GRAMINEAE]

Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 10, Part 4, (2002) Author: T. A. Cope
Names
Hyparrhenia anamesa Clayton [family GRAMINEAE], in Kew Bull., Addit. ser. 2: 85 (1969). —Simon in Kirkia 8: 17, 50 (1971). —Clayton & Renvoize in F.T.E.A., Gramineae: 800, fig. 184 (1982). TAB. 35. Type from Kenya.
Hyparrhenia filipendula var. pilosa [family GRAMINEAE], sensu Sturgeon in Rhodesia Agric. J. 51: 135 (1954), in part, non (Hochst.) Stapf.
Hyparrhenia filipendula [family GRAMINEAE], sensu Stent & Rattray in Proc. & Trans. Rhodesia Sci. Assoc. 32: 13 (1933), in part (Eyles 2174), non (Hochst.) Stapf.
Information
Densely caespitose perennial; culms up to 120 cm high. Leaf sheaths glabrous or sometimes thinly hirsute; leaf laminas up to 40 cm × 4 mm, but often much shorter, harsh, glaucous. False panicle 15–45 cm long, lax; spatheoles 4–6 cm long, linear; peduncles slender and flexuous, usually longer than the spatheoles, with or without spreading white hairs above; racemes 1.5–2.5 cm long, 4–6(7)-awned per pair, white-villous, terminally exserted, not deflexed; raceme-bases very unequal, the superior 3.5–6 mm long, filiform, glabrous or sometimes softly hirsute. Homogamous spikelets 5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrous or sometimes softly hirsute, 1 or 2 pairs at the base of the inferior raceme, 2 pairs (rarely only 1) at the base of the superior raceme. Sessile spikelet 5–6.5 mm long; callus 1–1.8 mm long, acute; inferior glume linear-oblong, white-villous; awn 2.5–4 cm long, the column pubescent with hairs 0.1–0.6 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets 4–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, white-villous, muticous or occasionally with an awn-point 1–2 mm long; callus absent; pedicel-tooth c. 0.6 mm long, triangular.
Habitat
Growing on dry slopes and in grassy plains
Range
In eastern Africa from Sudan southwards to South Africa (Cape).
Altitude range
0–1710 m.
1710
0
Distribution
Botswana SE Gaborone University Campus, 990 m, 29.xi.1973, Mott 31 (K).Zambia B Kaoma Distr., 56 km from Kafue Watershed, 2.iv.1969, Verboom 1366 (K).Zimbabwe N Zvimba Distr., Darwendale, 14.iii.1931, Brain 2357 (K).Malawi N Mzimba Distr., Marymount, toward Army base, 1370 m, 10.vi.1971, Pawek 4891 (K).Mozambique N Ngauma Distr., Massangulo, 13°55’S, 35°35’E, 1100 m, iv.1955, Gomes e Sousa 1363 (K).Zambia N Mbala Distr., road to Itembwe Gorge, near Mbala (Abercorn), 1710 m, 24.iv.1959, McCallum Webster A357 (K).Zambia W Mufulira, Copperbelt Exp. Farm, 21.iv.1966, Lawton 1395 (K).Zambia C North Luangwa National Park, Muchinga Escarpment, 11°25’S, 32°01’E, 1200 m, 29.iv.1994, P.P. Smith 993 (K).Zambia S Kafue National Park, 80 km west of Mumbwa on Kaoma (Mankoya) road, 23.iv.1964, B.L. Mitchell 25/39 (K; PRE; SRGH).Zimbabwe W Matobo Distr., Matopos Research Station, 1370 m, 12.ii.1954, Rattray 1590 (K; PRE).Zimbabwe C Chegutu Distr., Poole Farm, 1190 m, 7.iv.1954, Wild 4548 (K).Zimbabwe E Chimanimani Distr., Melsetter Pasture Res. sub-station, 1520 m, 19.ii.1950, Williams 76 (K).Mozambique MS Beira, ii.1912, Rogers 5945 (K).Mozambique M Marracuene, 26.ii.1940, A.J.W. Hornby 3122 (LISC).
Notes
The species sits somewhat between H. hirta and H. filipendula. The latter has only 2 awns per raceme-pair while the former has at least eight; H. filipendula has two homogamous spikelet-pairs at the base of the superior raceme while H. hirta has only one. Furthermore, H. filipendula has longer hairs on the column of the awn (0.7–1.2 mm). H. hirta and H. anamesa share the characteristic of short hairs on the column of the awn (0.1–0.6 mm) and in many respects are closer together than either is to H. filipendula. They are distinguished from each other by number of awns per raceme-pair and number of homogamous spikelet-pairs on the superior raceme. Occasionally, specimens of H. hirta have two homogamous pairs on the superior raceme but these can be assigned to the species on account of their awn-number (8 or more per raceme-pair). Likewise, there are rare specimens of H. anamesa that have only one homogamous pair on the superior raceme, but these can be assigned to the appropriate species again by awn-number (always fewer than 8). The distinction works well enough north of the equator, but in southern Africa it is somewhat less than convincing with the species merging much more than they do elsewhere. Nevertheless, a distinction seems to be worth maintaining since the specimens from a Mediterranean-type climate (whether in the Mediterranean region or in South Africa) do seem to be different from those of the tropics.
Hyparrhenia anamesa Clayton [family GRAMINEAE]
PDF

Related Materials