Leaf blade linear to linear-lanceolate, expanded or rolled; ligule an unfringed membrane
Inflorescence of spike-like racemes scattered on and appressed to central axis; spikelets solitary, shortly pedicelled
Spikelet 5.5-9.0 mm long, weakly laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes and not between florets; glumes ± equal, shorter than spikelet, similar, 1-nerved, acuminate, awnless
Florets 2-6, bisexual, but uppermost floret reduced; lemma similar in texture to glumes, membranous, lightly keeled, 3-nerved, hairy on lateral nerves, entire or incised, awned from back below apex, awn straight, shorter to, to as long as body of lemma; callus short, blunt, densely hairy; palea as long as lemma, hairy
Lodicules 2, long and narrow, glabrous
Stamens 3
Ovary glabrous
Caryopsis linear-oblong
x = 10 (1 report)
Nomenclature:
Bewsia Gooss.
Goossens: 183 (1941)
Chippindall: 121 (1955) under Diplachne P.Beauv.
Clayton: 286 (1974)
Clayton & Renvoize: 212 (1986)
Gibbs Russell et al.: 61 (1990)
Watson & Dallwitz: 168 (1994)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Species 1: Bewsia biflora (Hack.) Gooss., Africa
Southern Africa:N Namibia, northern provinces of South Africa, Swaziland, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal
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. 1974. Flora of tropical East Africa. Gramineae (Part 2)
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
GOOSSENS, A.P. 1941. A new genus of South African Gramineae. South African Journal of Science 37
WATSON, L. & DALLWITZ, M.J. 1994. The grass genera of the world, revised edn. CAB International, Oxon
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Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
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