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.

Loudetiopsis trigemina

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Butt sheaths pubescent, or villous. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 15–30 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 5–10 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; straight, or flexuous; scaberulous; glabrous.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1–1.5 mm long; setose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.4 mm long; bearded; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–7 mm long; 0.75–1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or setose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or setose; hairy below; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; 5–9 -veined; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret pilose. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 15–18 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 5–6 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTA.

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