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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.
Tetrachne
HABIT Perennial. Culms 50–70 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral. Rhachis flattened.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes definite.
GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface without pits. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; membranous; 1 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; coriaceous; keeled; wingless; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma surface unwrinkled; without grooves. Lemma apex acute. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid.
DISTRIBUTION Africa, or Tropical Asia.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.