e-Key v3 - Oxyrhachis
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Poaceae - Panicoideae - Andropogoneae - Rottboelliinae - Oxyrhachis Pilg.

Description :

  • Perennial, tufted
  • Leaf blade linear, folded or rolled; ligule a fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs
  • Inflorescence terminal, with a single cylindrical raceme; spikelets apparently borne singly since pedicels fused to rachis and indistinguishable from internode; internodes semicylindrical and strongly oblique top and bottom; spikelets sunken, sessile
  • Sessile spikelet dorsiventrally compressed, falling with glumes and adjacent joint; glumes ± equal, rounded on back, awnless, dissimilar; lower glume lanceolate, obtuse, smooth, rounded on flanks, wingless; upper glume apically notched or entire
  • Florets 2, lower floret sterile, reduced to hyaline lemma, awnless, palea 0; upper floret bisexual, lemma less firm in texture than glumes, 2-nerved, entire, awnless; callus obtuse; palea small or suppressed
  • Lodicules 2, fleshy, glabrous
  • Stamens 3
  • Ovary glabrous
  • Caryopsis oblong-ellipsoid, dorsiventrally compressed
  • Pedicelled spikelet and pedicel suppressed or fused and indistinguishable from internode

Nomenclature:

  • Oxyrhachis Pilg.
    • Pilger: 655 (1932)
    • Clayton & Renvoize: 855 (1982)
    • Clayton & Renvoize: 368 (1986)
    • Gibbs Russell et al.: 231 (1990)
    • Watson & Dallwitz: 681 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 1: Oxyrhachis gracillima (Baker) C.E.Hubb., Africa and Madagascar
  • Southern Africa : S KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

References:

  • CLAYTON, W.D. & RENVOIZE, S.A. 1982. Flora of tropical East Africa . Gramineae (Part 3)
  • CLAYTON, W.D. & RENVOIZE S.A. 1986. Genera graminum. Grasses of the world. Kew Bulletin . Additional series 13
  • GIBBS RUSSELL, G.E., WATSON, L., KOEKEMOER, M., SMOOK, L., BARKER, N.P., ANDERSON, H.M. & DALLWITZ. M.J. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 58
  • PILGER, R.K.F. 1932. Oxyrachis . Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin-Dahlem 11
  • WATSON, L. & DALLWITZ, M.J. 1994. The grass genera of the world , revised edn. CAB International, Oxon