Megastachya mucronata (Poir.) P. Beauv.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road to Mpawe Village, Coutada 12, Cheringoma

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Synonyms:	Centotheca maxima Peter Centotheca mucronata (Poir.) Kuntze Poa mucronata Poir.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Annual or short-lived perennial grass, 30-110 cm high, sometimes erect but usually decumbent, rooting at the lower nodes. Leaves mostly densely crowded around the base of the culms, more or less broadly lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, up to 10(15) cm long, tapering to a fine point, auriculate or broadly rounded at the base, inconspicuously puberulous but soon becoming hairless, scaberulous along the edges. Inflorescence a usually lax and open panicle, broadly elliptic or obovate in outline, 12-35 x 5-25 cm, erect, often partly enclosed in the sheath of the uppermost leaf; branches up to 18 cm long, spreading or obliquely ascending. Pedicels filiform, up to 15 mm long. Spikelets oblong to linear-oblong, 9-21 mm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	mucronata: possessing a short narrow point at the apex, mucronate
Habitat:	In woodland or swamp thicket, usually in shade.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Western tropical Africa, Angola, DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa and Madagascar.
Zimbabwe distribution:	E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Tuesday 22 May 2018
Literature:	Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 136. Fish, L., Mashau, A.C., Moeaha, M.J. & Nembudani, M.T. (2015). Identification Guide to Southern African Grasses Strelitzia 36 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Pages 430 - 431. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 48. Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 141 - 142. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 106. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 132. Siebert, S. & Mössmer, M. (Editors) (2002). SABONET Southern Mozambique Expedition 2001; Provisional Plant Checklist of the Maputo Elephant Reserve (MER) and Licuati Forest Reserve (LFR) SABONET News 7(1) Page 28.

Other sources of information about Megastachya mucronata:

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Flora of Malawi: Megastachya mucronata
Flora of Mozambique: Megastachya mucronata
Flora of Zambia: Megastachya mucronata

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Megastachya mucronata
African Plant Database: Megastachya mucronata
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Megastachya mucronata
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Megastachya mucronata
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Megastachya mucronata
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Megastachya mucronata
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Megastachya mucronata
JSTOR Plant Science: Megastachya mucronata
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Megastachya mucronata
Plants of the World Online: Megastachya mucronata
Tropicos: Megastachya mucronata
Wikipedia: Megastachya mucronata