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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Isachne kiyalaensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent, or prostrate; 30–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3–6 cm long; 4–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 2.5–7.5 cm long; 2–4 cm wide; contracted about primary branches.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; unequal; 1–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets, or 0 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets, or 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or obovate; 1.4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1.4 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1.3–1.5 length of fertile lemma; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; glabrous. Fertile florets female, or bisexual; with the lowest dissimilar (bisexual, or male when see above). Lowest fertile lemma lanceolate; 1.3–1.5 length of adjacent lemma; thinner than adjacent lemma; glabrous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1–1.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Isachneae. FTA.

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