External fruit morphology of southern African Arundineae (Arundinoideae: Poaceae)

Abstract

Fruits of a number of taxa of all indigenous southern African arundinoid genera were examined by means of SEM. Size, shape, compression, surface sculpturing, embryo anti hilum features were recorded and fruits of all genera are illustrated. Results are compared to existing descriptions. The genera are placed in five informal groups according to similarities noted in the fruits.

Keywords

• achene
• Arundineae
• Arundinoideae
• caryopsis
• embryo
• external morphology
• hilum
• Poaceae
• surface sculpturing
• systematics