Microchloa kunthii Desv.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda road before Chozi turn-off, Nyika National Park

Photo: Petra Ballings
Chelinda road before Chozi turn-off, Nyika National Park

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Synonyms:	Microchloa abyssinica Hochst. ex A. Rich.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Small and slender, mat-forming perennial grass; culms up to 60 cm tall but often much smaller; leaves mostly crowded at the base, filiform, up to 13 cm long; leaf sheaths splitting into a dense cushion of fibres; leaf laminas 1–8(13) cm long, filiform. Racemes slender, straight or falcate, up to 21 cm long, dark purple, hairless at the base. Spikelets 1-flowered, 2.3–3.2 mm long; lemma 1.9–2.8 mm long; anthers 0.6–0.7 mm long. Caryopsis c. 1.5 mm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	kunthii: after Karl Sigismund Kunth (1788-1850), German professor of botany at the University of Berlin and Vice President of the botanical garden. Also co-author of Nova Genera et Species Plantarum (1815-1825).
Habitat:	On shallow soil over rock in montane grasslands and on rocky outcrops, on stony hillsides, in bare patches in miombo woodland and at margins of dambos.
Altitude range: (metres)	650 - 2300 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa and South Africa, Arabia, China, India and tropical South America.
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:	Wednesday 3 July 2019
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 354. Chapano, C. (2002). A checklist of Zimbabwean grasses Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 16. Pretoria. Page 8. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 39. Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Page 230. 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 137. 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 Page 447. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 49. Klaassen Esmerialda, E.S. & Craven P. (2003). Checklist of grasses in Namibia SABONET Report No. 20 Page 58. 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. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 141.

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Flora of Botswana: Microchloa kunthii
Flora of Burundi: Microchloa kunthii
Flora of Caprivi: Microchloa kunthii
Flora of Malawi: Microchloa kunthii
Flora of Mozambique: Microchloa kunthii
Flora of Zambia: Microchloa kunthii

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African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Microchloa kunthii
African Plant Database: Microchloa kunthii
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Microchloa kunthii
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Microchloa kunthii
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Microchloa kunthii
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iNaturalist: Microchloa kunthii
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Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Microchloa kunthii
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Tropicos: Microchloa kunthii
Wikipedia: Microchloa kunthii