Odyssea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–65.5–200 cm long. Lateral branches lacking (1), or suffrutescent (1). Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; in a multilateral false spike (1), or in a head; unilateral; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–14 fertile spikelets on each (1/1). Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–9 fertile florets, or 10 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5–7.5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite. Floret callus evident; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.6–0.65–0.7 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface without pits. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 0.6–0.9–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth (1), or scabrous (1). Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; membranous; without keel; wingless; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface unwrinkled; without grooves. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid.

DISTRIBUTION Africa, or Temperate Asia (1).

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