Tetrachaete

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 4–25 cm long; wiry. Ligule a ciliate membrane.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes borne along a central axis; in a multilateral false spike; oblong; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis obsolete; deciduous from axis.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume subulate; 1 length of upper glume. Lower glume surface without pits; villous. Upper glume subulate. Upper glume surface villous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; coriaceous; keeled; wingless; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface unwrinkled; without grooves. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; isodiametric; trigonous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa, or Temperate Asia.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.