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.

Alloeochaete namuliensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; glossy; woolly; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 17–45 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 13–14.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 3–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7(–12) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long. Floret callus obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 3–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 3–5 mm long; 0.75–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–1 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; lanceolate, or ovate; 4 mm long; herbaceous; 5 -veined; puberulous; hairy above; dentate; 2 -fid; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret straight, or flexuous (reflexed); 1 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above; with marginal hair tufts; bearing 2 hair tufts in all. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 6 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 1 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3; 2–3.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis 2.3 mm long. Disseminule comprising a floret.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Arundineae. Kabuye.

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