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Synonyms: |
Amphilophis insculpta (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf Andropogon insculptus Hochst. ex A. Rich. Andropogon pertusus (L.) Willd. Andropogon pertusus var. capensis Hack. Andropogon pertusus var. insculptus (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Hack. A. & C. Bothriochloa pertusa (L.) A. Camus Dichanthium insculptum (A. Rich.) Clayton |
Common names: | Moseka (Setswana) Mosela o mogolo (Setswana) Pinhole grass (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Caespitose perennial; culms up to 200 cm high, either decumbent and rambling or developing into stout woody stolons, branching and rooting at the nodes; nodes barbate with white hairs; internodes channelled on one side; leaf sheaths glabrous, tightly clasping the internodes, barbate at the mouth; ligule membranous; leaf laminas 4–30 cm × 2–8 mm, glabrous on both sides, occasionally with tubercle-based hairs below, rough on the margins. Inflorescence of 3–20 subdigitate peduncled racemes; main axis up to 3 cm long, shorter than the lowermost racemes; raceme peduncles glabrous; racemes up to 10 cm long, but variable; rhachis internodes and pedicels pilose on the margins, the hairs increasing in length upwards to c. 3 mm. Sessile spikelet c. 4.5 mm long, narrowly elliptic; callus c. 0.5 mm long, barbate, obtuse; inferior glume with a single deep pit on the back just above the middle, glabrous or pubescent to shortly pilose below, shortly ciliate on the keels towards the apex; superior glume narrowly lanceolate, sharply carinate, glabrous, minutely ciliate on the keel towards the apex; inferior floret empty, its lemma c. 3.5 mm long, broadly ovate; superior floret epaleate, the lemma c. 2 mm long, stipitiform, awned from the apex; awn c. 25 mm long, glabrous; anthers c. 1.8 mm long. Pedicelled spikelet c. 5 mm long, neuter, glabrous; inferior glume oblong, with 0–4 shallow slit-like pits, irregularly toothed at the apex, ciliate along the keels; superior glume lanceolate, delicate, ciliate on the margins; inferior lemma c. 3 mm long, oblong, truncate at the apex. |
Type location: |
Ethiopia |
Notes: | Perennial tufted grass, often with stolons. It is strongly aromatic when crushed. The culms have a conspicuous ring of white hairs at the nodes. The inflorescence is subdigitate, purple. |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | In overgrazed and disturbed places. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Oct - Jun |
Worldwide distribution: | Widespread in tropical Africa, Arabia and India; introduced in Australia. |
National distribution: | N,SE |
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 10. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 6. Cope, T.A. (2002). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(4) Pages 47 - 48. Isaiah, A.M. & Komi, T. (2015). Grasses in the Botswana National Botanic Garden South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Page 5. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 31. Also as Bothriochloa pertusa Klaassen Esmerialda, E.S. & Craven P. (2003). Checklist of grasses in Namibia SABONET Report No. 20 Page 15. 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 100. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 52 - 53. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2000). Notes on the grass subtribe Sorghinae (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) in the Flora Zambesiaca area Kirkia 17(2) Page 145. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone 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 27. 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 187. |
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