| Synonyms: |
Ischaemum franksiae J.M. Wood Ischaemum juncifolium F. Ballard & C.E. Hubb. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Densely caespitose perennial, the basal sheaths broad and papery, sometimes flabellate; culms up to 80 cm high, erect. Leaf laminas up to 40 cm × 1 mm, setaceous. Inflorescence 7–9 cm long, with a short central axis up to 2 cm long; racemes 2–4, each pedunculate and 4–6 cm long; internodes and pedicels linear, subclavate to inflated upwards, smooth and glabrous to shortly pilose. Sessile spikelet oblong-ovate, purplish; callus with a conspicuous central peg; inferior glume 6–8.5 mm long, thinly chartaceous with prominent nerves to firmly chartaceous with fainter nerves, ± flat across the back, rarely somewhat concave, scabrid on the sides below and smooth on the back to muricate on back and sides, the protuberances bearing a sharp prickle, ciliolate to rigidly ciliate on the margins above, these not winged, acute to acuminate at the apex. Pedicelled spikelet similar to the sessile spikelet but usually smaller, with a well developed callus, this bearing a central peg; pedicels half as long to as long as the internodes. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | growing in boggy grassland |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 1400 m (approx) |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | DRC, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| FZ divisions: | W |
| Zambian distribution (Provinces): | |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Cope, T.A. (2002). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(4) Page 160. 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 108. |