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.

Puelia coriacea

HABIT Perennial. Roots bearing tubers. Rhizomes short; pachymorph; knotty. Culms erect; 20–40 cm long; firm. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; lacerate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades elliptic; 8–26 cm long; 20–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; secund; 7–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus subtended by a fleshy frill; these appendages 1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume cuneate; 0.75 mm long; 0.3 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5 mm long; 0.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; male; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 8 mm long; coriaceous; 9 -veined; distinctly veined; ciliolate on margins; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret winged on keels; pilose. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 9 mm long; coriaceous (softly); pallid; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex truncate. Palea ovate; 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 8 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; oblanceolate; 1 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 3 mm long. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 3; papillose. Styles connate below. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Atractocarpeae. WDC.

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