e-Key v3 - Prosphytochloa
SANBI Flora Keys Logo
Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Poaceae - Bambusoideae - Oryzeae - Prosphytochloa Schweick.

Description :

  • Perennial, long-rhizomatous, climbing forest grasses with erect, scandent culms
  • Leaf blade heterophyllous (of 2 dissimilar kinds), margins scabrid with minute, short, retrorse barbs; lower leaves lanceolate, acuminate, expanded, ± flaccid, caudate; upper leaves filiform, longer than lower lanceolate type, tapering into a long filiform tip; ligule an unfringed membrane, usually truncate, eventually becoming laciniate
  • Inflorescence an open panicle, terminal on main culm and lateral branches; spikelets solitary, pedicelled
  • Spikelet slightly laterally compressed, broadly lanceolate, slightly twisted; glumes very reduced, ± equal, joined to form a small cup, awnless
  • Florets 3; lower 2 florets sterile; lemma subulate, variable in length, armed with minute hyaline spines; palea 0; uppermost floret bisexual; lemma acuminate, boat-shaped, coarsely covered with hyaline spines, entire, margins inflexed, 5-nerved, scarcely keeled, awnless; callus 0; palea acuminate, coriaceous, 3-nerved
  • Lodicules 2, broadly ovate, obtuse, fleshy, indistinctly nerved
  • Stamens 6
  • Ovary glabrous, subglobose; styles distinct, plumose
  • Caryopsis longitudinally grooved
  • x = 12

Nomenclature:

  • Prosphytochloa Schweick.
    • Schweickerdt: 193 (1961)
    • Stapf: 659 (1900) under Potamophila R.Br.
    • De Winter: 117 (1951) under Potamophila R.Br.
    • Chippindall: 33 (1955) under Potamophila R.Br.
    • Clayton & Renvoize: 73 (1986)
    • Gibbs Russell et al.: 277 (1990)
    • Watson & Dallwitz: 774 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Southern Africa : Species 1: Prosphytochloa prehensilis (Nees) Schweick., Northern Province, Mpumalanga to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

References:

  • CHIPPINDALL, L.K.A. 1955. A guide to the identification of grasses in South Africa. In D. Meredith, The grasses and pastures of South Africa . Central News Agency, Cape Town
  • CLAYTON, W.D. & RENVOIZE S.A. 1986. Genera graminum. Grasses of the world. Kew Bulletin . Additional series 13
  • DE WINTER, B. 1951. A morphological, anatomical and cytological study of Potamophila prehensilis (Nees) Benth. Bothalia 6
  • 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
  • SCHWEICKERDT, H.G. 1961. Graminearum species nova et genus novum. Der Züchter 31
  • STAPF, O. 1898-1900. Gramineae . Flora capensis 7
  • WATSON, L. & DALLWITZ, M.J. 1994. The grass genera of the world , revised edn. CAB International, Oxon