 |
|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 30–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; 3–14 cm long; 4–15 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 2–4; borne along a central axis; distant; unilateral; 3–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–15 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; irregular.
Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6.5 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1.5 mm long; 0.1–0.25 times length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 10–20 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 times length of spikelet; membranous; setose; with tubercle-based hairs; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret flexuous (tangled); 10–30 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea chartaceous; without keels.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical.
NOTES Paniceae. FW 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Us.
Version: 5th June 2007.