Description:
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Small, delicate, decumbent straggling perennial; culms up to 40 cm high, unbranched; internodes compressed. Leaf sheaths hairy; ligule a very short (c. 1 mm) minutely fringed membrane; laminas 6–16 cm × 3–4 mm, spreading, flat, glabrous, tapering to a very fine point at the apex. Racemes in terminal pairs, 2.5–5 cm long, clearly exserted from the spatheoles only at maturity; peduncles much longer than the racemes; internodes and pedicels filiform, ciliate on both margins. Spikelets similar, 5–7.5 mm long (the pedicelled slightly the longer and tinged with purple); inferior glumes of both irregularly pitted between the nerves, narrowly winged, glabrous. Sessile spikelet: inferior glume with a deep median groove, convex on the back, bifid at the apex; superior lemma bifid to about the middle; awn geniculate, 14.5–16.5 mm long; anthers 3–3.5 mm long, straw-coloured. Pedicelled spikelet male. |
| Literature:
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Cope, T.A. (2002). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(4) Pages 63 - 64.
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 99.
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