Pogonarthria squarrosa (Roem. & Schult.) Pilg.

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Pogonarthria squarrosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Rocky slopes on left of entry road to Cleveland Dam, Harare.

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Synonyms: Diplachne menyharthii Hack.
Eragrostis marlothii Hack.
Leptochloa falcata Hack.
Poa squarrosa Roem. & Schult.
Pogonarthria falcata (Hack.) Rendle
Pogonarthria menyharthii (Hack.) Hack.
Common names: Cross grass (English) Herringbone grass (English)
Frequency: Common
Status: Native
Description:
Erect perennial tufted grass, culms up to 100(120) cm tall, stiffly erect, unbranched; leaf laminas (3)7–24(33) cm × (1)2–4(5.5) mm, flat or convolute especially towards the narrow tapering apex. Inflorescence (7)12–30(44) cm long, of many short racemes at almost right angles with the culm; racemes 1–8(10) cm long, ascending or spreading, often falcately curved. Spikelets 3–6(8) mm long, 4–10-flowered, elliptic to narrowly elliptic-oblong, reddish-brown; rhachilla internodes terete, hairy towards the apex, rarely only scabrid; glumes lanceolate, the inferior 0.9–1.2(1.6) mm long, the superior (1.7)2–2.6(2.8) mm long; lemmas 2.3–2.8(3) mm long (very rarely to 3.6 mm), ovate-lanceolate, sharp-tipped at the apex.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: squarrosa: rough with stiff, spreading scales, bracts or other processes.
Habitat: In disturbed places, roadsides and old cultivation. Also in sandy soils and on granite.
Altitude range: (metres) Up to 1700 m
Flowering time:Nov - May
Worldwide distribution: Widespread in tropical Africa and Southern Africa.
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
Literature:

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 44.

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 29.

Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Pages 150 - 152.

Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 443. (Includes a picture).

Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 55.

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 108.

Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 170 - 171. (Includes a picture).

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 143.

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 191.

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 86.


Other sources of information about Pogonarthria squarrosa:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Pogonarthria squarrosa
Flora of Caprivi: Pogonarthria squarrosa
Flora of Malawi: Pogonarthria squarrosa
Flora of Mozambique: Pogonarthria squarrosa
Flora of Zambia: Pogonarthria squarrosa

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Pogonarthria squarrosa.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=105320, retrieved 31 October 2024

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