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  1. Family: Poaceae Barnhart
    1. Genus: Pentameris P.Beauv.

      1. Pentameris pallescens (Schrad.) Nees

        This species is accepted, and its native range is Cape Prov.

    [GB]
    Habit
    Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pallid; glossy; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Glands elongated. Culms decumbent; 60-120 cm long; 3-5 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-18 cm long; 7-10 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.
    Inflorescences
    Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 200 fertile spikelets. Panicle open; ovate; 10-18 cm long; 7-10 cm wide. Panicle branches bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet; glandular; smooth.
    Spikelets
    Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.
    Fertile
    Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.
    Glume
    Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 10-12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; mid-green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 10-12 mm long; 2-2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; mid-green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.
    Florets
    Fertile lemma oblong; 4-6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5-9 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lobes 2.5 mm long; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 9-15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on inner edge of lobes; 3 mm long; enclosed by glumes; shorter than principal. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy above.
    Flowers
    Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; glabrous. Anthers 3; 3.5-4 mm long; purple.
    Fruits
    Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
    Distribution
    Africa: south.
    Reference
    Arundineae. Linder.

    Distribution

    Native to:

    Cape Provinces

    Synonyms

    Other Data

    Pentameris pallescens (Schrad.) Nees appears in other Kew resources:

    Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
    Webster, M.M. [N33], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719453
    Burchell [544], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719433
    Harvey [150], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719442
    Linder, H.P. [4339], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719451
    Linder, H.P. [4539], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719452
    Esterhuysen, E. [34104], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719450
    Drege [s.n.], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719438
    Drege [s.n.], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719440
    Acocks, J.P.H. [15266], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719447
    Acocks, J.P.H. [15266], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719448
    Wolley-Dod, A.H. [3491], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719435
    Wolley-Dod, A.H. [1962], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719436
    Bolus, F. [14859], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719434
    Bergius [s.n.], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719439
    Bergius [s.n.], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719441
    Gillivray, J.M. [393], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719437
    Sandwith, C. [72], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719444
    Sandwith, C. [145], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719445
    Sandwith, C. [145], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719446
    Rehm, S. [605], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719443
    v.d.Merwe, P. [23-74], South Africa Pentaschistis pallescens K000719449
    Codd, L.E. [3552], South Africa Pentaschistis involuta K000719330
    Acocks, J.P.H. [21612], South Africa Pentaschistis involuta K000719333
    Fourcade, H.G. [2855], South Africa Pentaschistis involuta K000719332
    Taylor, H.G. [4204], South Africa Pentaschistis involuta K000719334
    Kruger, F.J. [KR235], South Africa Pentaschistis involuta K000719331

    Bibliography

    First published in Linnaea 7: 312 (1832)

    Not accepted by

    • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [Cited as Pentaschistis pallescens.]

    Literature

    Kew Backbone Distributions

    • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

    Sources

    GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

    Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
    'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

    Kew Backbone Distributions
    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2020. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

    Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2020. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0