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.

Acroceras gabunense

HABIT Perennial. Culms rambling; 20–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; tapering towards sheath; 2–10 cm long; 10–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 3–10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–20 cm long. Rhachis angular; pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; angular; unequal; 2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; subterete; 4.5–5.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–5 mm long; herbaceous; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex laterally pinched.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 5 -veined; laterally pinched at apex. Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–5 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; pubescent and with a little green crest. Palea reflexed at apex; elliptic; involute; 1 length of lemma; indurate; 2 -veined; without keels.

FRUIT Disseminule comprising a spikelet.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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