| Synonyms: |
Sporobolus stachydanthus A. Rich. Vilfa pilifera Trin. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Loosely caespitose annual; culms up to 45 cm tall, erect, often branched below; leaf sheaths chartaceous, glabrous on the back, glabrous or pilose near the margins; leaf laminas 1.5–7.5 cm × 1–3 mm, flat, folded or involute, sometimes filiform, loosely pilose on the surface with tubercle-based hairs or glabrous, pectinate on the margins with stiff tubercle-based setae, acute at the apex.Panicle 1.5–13 cm long, linear and spiciform; primary branches verticillate or subverticillate, glabrous, with elongated glands, the spikelets racemosely arranged along the whole length.Spikelets 1.5–2.1 mm long, reddish-brown; inferior glume (1/2)3/5–3/4 the length of the spikelet, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, nerveless, glabrous, acute to acuminate at the apex; superior glume as long as the spikelet, ovate, 1-nerved, glabrous or minutely hispidulous, acute at the apex; lemma as long as the spikelet or almost so, similar to the superior glume but glabrous; anthers 3, 0.3–0.6 mm long.Grain 1–1.3 mm long, elliptic, laterally compressed. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | piliferus: bearing hairs |
| Habitat: | Montane grassland often amongst rocks, on rocky hillsides and granite outcrops in high rainfall woodland, beside paths and in firebreaks and on margins of laterite pans |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 1100 - 2000 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | the tropics |
| FZ divisions: | N |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| 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 365. Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Pages 179 - 180. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 61. 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 110. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Pages 152 - 153. |