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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Loudetia echinulata
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect; involute; 7–15 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle spiciform; linear; 6–10 cm long; 0.6–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.2–0.4 cm long; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 20–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.5–2 mm long; bearded; acute. Floret callus hairs 2–2.5 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 11–12 mm long; 0.6 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume hairs 1–1.7 mm long. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 19–20 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 20–22 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 3 -veined; acuminate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.66 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; 7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 100–110 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 40 mm long; puberulous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.
FLOWER Anthers 2; 4–5 mm long; anther tip smooth.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. CEH.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
