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Descriptions

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

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

Vossia cuspidata

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 100–200 cm long; 5–10 mm diam.; spongy; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 30–100 cm long; 6–18 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–12; single, or paired, or digitate; 10–30 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes (tardily); angular; scabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes cuneate. Rhachis internode tip transverse; flat.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels cuneate; flattened; scabrous; tip rectangular.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; ovate; dorsally compressed; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; glabrous; caudate. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; caudate; 20–40 mm long (the body 6–8 mm); falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2–5 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; yellow; 2-keeled; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged above. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume apex caudate. Upper glume ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 8 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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