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Synonyms: |
Antoschmidtia bulbosa (Stapf) Peter Antoschmidtia quinqueseta (Benth.) Boiss. Schmidtia bulbosa Stapf Schmidtia glabra Pilg. Schmidtia quinqueseta Benth. ex Ficalho & Hiern |
Common names: | Kalahari sand quick (English) Sand quick (English) |
Frequency: | Frequent |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Perennial, with a short creeping rhizome, often with long surface stolons. Culms up to 100 cm. tall (usually much less!), 3- to many-noded, erect or geniculately ascending, almost always bulbous-like thickened at the base, simple or more often branched from the lower nodes, often with crowded intra-vaginal innovation-shoots and then suffrutescent in appearance, sometimes woody, finely striate, pubescent or sometimes glabrous, often somewhat viscous with gland-tipped hairs; the lower internodes usually short, the uppermost long exserted and slender. Leaf-sheaths tight when young, later loose and slipping off the culm; the lowermost scale-like, subcoriaceous, densely packed and often sericeous or villous. Leaf-laminae 5-16 x 0.2-0.7 (rarely more) cm., linear or linear-lanceolate, tapering to a setaceous point, sometimes somewhat curling towards the apex, involute or flat, glaucous, pubescent on both surfaces and sometimes slightly viscous with gland-tipped hairs. Panicle 6-12 x 2-4.5 cm., loose to somewhat contracted, ovate, elliptic, elliptic-oblong in outline, erect or rarely drooping; branches spreading to ascending, sometimes appressed to the rhachis; rhachis, branches and pedicels scabrous and often hairy. Spikelets up to 1.5 cm. long, pedicelled to subsessile, obovate to obovate-oblong in lateral view, sericeous to villous. Glumes light grey-green or dull green, acute to subobtuse, glabrous or finely pubescent, rarely with a few gland-tipped hairs, smooth or asperulous; the inferior (4.6)5-7.5(10.5) mm. long, (7)9-11(13)-nerved; the superior (6)6.5-9 (rarely -11.5) mm. long, (8) 9-11 (rarely -14)-nerved, always slightly shorter than the spikelet. Lowest lemma (8.5)9.5-14(-18) mm. long; awns (4.5) 5.75-8(13) mm. long. Palea 4.25-5.75 mm. long, usually with a few gland-tipped hairs along the keels towards the apex or sometimes without glands. Anthers (2)2.5-3.5(4) mm. long. Caryopsis c. 1.5 mm. long, yellowish-brown. |
Notes: | Perennial tufted grass, up to 1 m, but usually much less, often with stolons above ground. Leaves bluish-green, densely hairy. Culms swollen near the base. Inflorescence a panicle. Spikelets with long hair-like glumes. |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | A species of sandy or gravelly soils in woodland, riverine fringes and along roadsides, mostly in dry areas. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Oct - Jun |
Worldwide distribution: | West Africa to Mauritania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and South Africa. Also in Cape Verde Islands |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
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 4 April 2006 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 32. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 498. (Includes a picture). Isaiah, A.M. & Komi, T. (2015). Grasses in the Botswana National Botanic Garden South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Page 30. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 58. As Schmidtia bulbosa Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 150 - 152. (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 109. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 178 - 179. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 144. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 192. |
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