Pentaschistis

(Nees) Spach
Source: 
SSA
Synonym(s): 
Achneria Benth. & Hook.f.: 1158 (1883) not of P.Beauv. (1812); Stapf: 456 (1899). Poagrostis Stapf: 760 (1900); Chippindall: 272 (1955).
Description: 
Perennial, rarely annual, tufted, sometimes rhizomatous, occasionally cushion-forming. Leaf blade variable, often with few to many linear, tubercular, stalked or saucer-shaped glands, particularly on nerves and margins; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence an open, contracted panicle or sometimes spike-like; spikelets solitary, pedicelled. Spikelet 2-20 mm long, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes; glumes +/- equal, as long as to longer than spikelet (excluding awns), similar, lanceolate, 1-nerved, 1-keeled, often glandular on keels, glabrous to puberulous all over, obtuse or acute or acuminate, usually awnless. Florets 2, rarely 1 (occasionally with rudiments of a third), bisexual; lemma 1.5-8.0 mm long, similar in texture to glumes, membranous, rounded on back, hairy or glabrous, +/- 7-9-nerved, 2-lobed, lobes awnless or awned; awn straight, shortly or partly fused to inner margin of lobe, central awn from between lobes or awnless, rarely only upper lemma awned; awn varying greatly in length, usually flat and twisted in lower part, geniculate, often longer than body of lemma; callus short, blunt, hairy; palea 2-keeled, bidentate apically, +/- as long as lemma, membranous. Lodicules 2, small. Stamens 3. Ovary oblong, glabrous; styles distinct, slender, plumose. x= 7, 10, 13 (polyploidy).
Distribution: 
Species +/- 65, mainly Africa, also in Madagascar; 56 in sthn Afr., mainly in mountainous areas, S Namibia, northern provinces of South Africa, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, W Northern Cape and Western Cape.
Classification: 

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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith