Guaduella marantifolia

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph; knotty. Culms erect; 20–60 cm long; firm. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline; 2(–3) per branch. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades elliptic, or oblong; 9–20 cm long; 35–80 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle branches pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 30–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; obscured by lemmas. Floret callus evident; 1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 10 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 11 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma obovate; 10 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 13–15 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 6 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; membranous; veined; obtuse. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2; papillose.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Guaduellaeae. WDC.

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