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.

Loudetiopsis glabrata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent, or woolly. Culms 50–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat; 20–40 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate; 20–40 cm long. Panicle branches straight, or flexuous; scaberulous; glabrous.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 0.5–9 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5–0.8 mm long; bearded; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 5 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; chartaceous; 3–5 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 10–16 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 4–6 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTA.

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