Coelachyrum brevifolium

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 5–45 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–6 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–5; digitate; unilateral; 1–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–3 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; irregular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3.5–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; parallel to lemmas. Lower glume elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea orbicular; 0.9–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; reniform; flattened; concavo-convex; 1 mm long; rugose.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.

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