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Hyparrhenia filipendula Hochst. Stapf [family GRAMINEAE]

Date Updated: 26 July 2007

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
Andropogon filipendulus Hochst. [family GRAMINEAE], in Flora 29: 115 (1846). Andropogon filipendulus var. pilosus Hochst. [family GRAMINEAE], loc. cit. (1846). Type from South Africa. Cymbopogon filipendulus Hochst. Rendle [family GRAMINEAE], in Hiern et al., Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 2: 157 (1899). Cymbopogon filipendulus var. angolensis Rendle [family GRAMINEAE], loc. cit. (1899). Types from Angola. Andropogon barteri var. menyharthii Hack. [family GRAMINEAE], in Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Mat.-Naturwiss. Kl., 78: 398 (1905). Type: Mozambique, Menyharth 894 (Z, holotype). Hyparrhenia filipendula var. pilosa Hochst. Stapf [family GRAMINEAE], in Prain, F.T.A.. 9: 324 (1919). —Sturgeon in Rhodesia Agric. J. 51: 135 (1954), in part. —Chippindall in Meredith, Grasses & Pastures S. Africa: 510 (1955). —Jackson & Wiehe, Annot. Check List Nyasal. Grass.: 44 (1958). —Simon in Kirkia 8: 18, 51 (1971). —Clayton in F.W.T.A., ed. 2, 3: 494 (1972). —Gibbs Russell et al., Grasses South. Africa [Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa No. 58]: 185 (1990). Hyparrhenia piovanii Chiov. [family GRAMINEAE], in Atti Reale Accad. Italia, Mem. Cl. Sci. 11: 63 (1940). Type from Ethiopia. Hyparrhenia filipendula Hochst. Stapf [family GRAMINEAE], in Prain, F.T.A. 9: 322 (1919). —Stent & Rattray in Proc. & Trans. Rhodesia Sci. Assoc. 32: 13 (1933), pro parte excl. Eyles 2174. —Sturgeon in Rhodesia Agric. J. 51: 135 (1954). —Chippindall in Meredith, Grasses & Pastures S. Africa: 510 (1955). —Jackson & Wiehe, Annot. Check List Nyasal. Grass.: 44 (1958) pro parte excl. Jackson 857 (=Homozeugos eylesii). —Vesey-FitzGerald in Kirkia 3: 106 (1963). —Wild in Kirkia 5: 54 (1965). —Clayton in Kew Bull., Addit. Ser. 2: 95 (1969). —Simon in Kirkia 8: 18, 51 (1971). —Clayton in F.W.T.A., ed. 2, 3: 494 (1972). —Clayton & Renvoize in F.T.E.A., Gramineae: 803 (1982). —Gibbs Russell et al., Grasses South. Africa [Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa No. 58]: 185 (1990). Type from South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). Hyparrhenia familiaris [family GRAMINEAE], sensu Vesey-FitzGerald in Kirkia 3: 106 (1963), non (Steud.) Stapf.
Information
Caespitose perennial arising from short scaly rhizomes; culms up to 200 cm high, branched from the inferior nodes. Leaf sheaths glabrous or rarely sparsely pilose with stiff white hairs; leaf laminas up to 30 cm × 4 mm. False panicle 30–80 cm long, virgate, its branches slender and graceful; spatheoles 4.5–5.5 cm long, linear to almost filiform; peduncles about as long as the spatheoles, very fine and flexuous, with or without spreading white hairs above; racemes 10–12 mm long, 2–4-awned per pair, delicate, yellowish-green often tinged with violet, terminally exserted, not deflexed; raceme-bases very unequal, the superior (4)4.5–8(10) mm long, slender, glabrous. Homogamous spikelets 5–7 mm long, linear-lanceolate, glabrous, a single pair at the base of the inferior raceme and 2 pairs at the base of the superior. Sessile spikelets 5.5–7 mm long; callus 1.8–3 mm long, pungent; inferior glume linear-oblong, flat on the back or with the inner nerves ± raised towards the apex and with an indistinct median hollow towards the base, glabrous to villous with white hairs; awn 3–5.5 cm long, the column hirtellous with fulvous hairs 0.7–1.2 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets 5–6 mm long, linear-lanceolate, terminating in an awnlet 1–5 mm long; callus absent; pedicel-tooth very short, triangular.
Habitat
A common species of open situations in a wide range of soil and vegetation types, particularly those subject to disturbance
Range
Tropical and South Africa, but mainly on the eastern side of the continent; also in Madagascar and extending eastwards through Sri Lanka to Australia
Altitude range
100–1500 m. 1500 100
Distribution
Zambia N Kasama Distr., Chibutubutu, Lukulu River, 16.iv.1958, Vesey-FitzGerald 1658 (K).Zimbabwe N Gokwe South Distr., Charama Plateau, 1220 m, 2.v.1965, Simon 386 (K).Malawi N Karonga Distr., Vinthukutu Forest, 3 km north of Chilumba, 475 m, 26.iv.1975, Pawek 9585 (K).Mozambique N Malema, andados 17 km do Mutuáli para Lioma, 650 m, 10.ii.1964, Torre & Paiva 10497 (K; LISC).Botswana SE South East Distr., Mogobane, 1160 m, 3.iv.1957, de Beer Mog.5 (K).Caprivi Strip Katima Mulilo, 915 m, 28.xii.1958, Killick & Leistner 3175 (K; PRE).Botswana N Chobe Distr., near the Leshomo–Ngwezumba road, 17°58’S, 25°12’E, 14.iv.1983, P.A. Smith 4316 (K; PRE).Zambia W Mwinilunga Distr., Matonchi River, by dam, 6.xi.1937, Milne-Redhead 3123 (K; PRE).Zambia C Lusaka Distr., Quien Sabe, 1100 m, 7.ix.1929, Sandwith 49 (K).Zambia E Chipata (Fort Jameson), iii.1962, Verboom 542 (K; PRE).Zambia S Mazabuka Distr., Burdett’s Farm, Monze to Magoye, km 9.7, 19.ii.1960, White 7229 (K).Zimbabwe W Bulawayo, 20°09’S, 25°25’E, 1360 m, 9.iv.1912, Rogers 5869 (K).Zimbabwe C Harare (Salisbury), National Botanic Garden, 1500 m, 7.ii.1965, Simon 126 (K; SRGH).Zimbabwe E Nyanga Distr., Susurumba, 23.v.1968, Wild 7720 (K).Zimbabwe S Umzingwane Distr., Essexvale Ranch, 18.v.1969, Wild Life Society, Bulawayo 166 (K).Malawi C Lilongwe Agric. Research Station, 25.iv.1951, Jackson 470 (K).Malawi S Blantyre Distr., Ndirande Mt., 1300 m, 10.vi.1970, Brummitt 11379 (K; LISC; MAL; PRE; SRGH).Mozambique Z Nas encostas dos montes Milange, 9.ix.1941, Torre 3380 (K; LISC).Mozambique T entre Furancungo e a serra de Pandarajala (Pandalanjala), 15.v.1948, Mendonça 4245 (K; LISC).Mozambique MS between Catandica (Vila Gouveia) and Macossa, 1.vii.1941, Torre 2962 (K).Mozambique GI Inharrime Distr., Nhacoongo, 5.iii.1963, Macêdo & Balsinhas 1099 (K; PRE).Mozambique M arredores de Moamba, 20.ii.1948, Torre 7381 (K; LISC).
Notes
In its typical form H. filipendula is most readily recognized by its delicate and graceful appearance derived from the copious slender ascending inflorescence branches, the flexuous peduncles and the numerous small racemes with a long superior raceme-base and commonly only 2 awns per raceme-pair. It is most similar to H. anamesa but this has a pubescent rather than a hirtellous awn-column.The form with pilose spikelets and up to 4 awns per raceme-pair tends to merge with H. hirta, but again the form of the hairs on the awn-column will serve to distinguish them, as will the higher number of awns in H. hirta.
Hyparrhenia filipendula Hochst. Stapf [family GRAMINEAE]
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