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.

Cyrtococcum chaetophoron

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 30–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; obovate; effuse; 10–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches profusely divided. Panicle branches capillary; with scattered hairs.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–10 length of fertile spikelet; scaberulous; glabrous, or villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; gibbous; 1.5–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.7 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; gibbous; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; hispidulous; acute. Fertile lemma obovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; hemispherical; 1.3–1.8 mm long; coriaceous; dark brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface punctate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; with a little green crest. Palea reflexed at apex; involute; coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; laterally compressed; plano-convex.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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