Geochloa decora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; woolly; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 25–70 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 10–20 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong, or ovate; interrupted; 5–13 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 18–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–22(–25) mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow, or light brown; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–22(–25) mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; yellow, or light brown; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; with a transverse fringe of hair. Lemma hairs 3 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; adnate to lemma lobes at base; 12–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea keels pubescent. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Arundineae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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