Original Research

Leaf anatomy of the South African Danthonieae (Poaceae). XV. The genus Elytrophorus

R. P. Ellis
Bothalia | Vol 16, No 2 | a1098 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/abc.v16i2.1098 | © 1986 R. P. Ellis | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 October 1986 | Published: 28 October 1986

About the author(s)

R. P. Ellis, Botanical Research Institute. Department of Agriculture and Water Supply, South Africa

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Abstract

The leaf anatomy of  Elytrophorus globularis Hack, and  E. spicatus (Willd.) A. Camus is described and illustrated from freshly fixed material from SWA/Namibia and Botswana. It is shown that these two species are anatomically indistinguishable. It is suggested that they are conspecific. and that  E. spicatus possibly represents juvenile plants with immature inflorescences. The anatomical evidence strongly refutes a chloridoid relationship for Elytrophorus but appears to support arundinoid affinities for the genus. Striking anatomical and ecological similarities exist between  Elytrophorus and  Sacciolepis huillensis (Rendle) Stapf. No significant leaf anatomical differences separate  Elytrophorus from S.  huillensis and some of the other C3 panicoid taxa and. consequently,  Elytro­phorus may represent a link between the Arundinoideae and the Panicoideae.


Keywords

Danthonieae. <i>Elytrophorus</i>; leaf anatomy; Poaceae

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