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Descriptions

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

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

Afrotrichloris hyaloptera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; 4–6 -noded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 15–25 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins spinulose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single; flexuous; unilateral; 14–22 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.7 mm wide; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 7 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7 mm long; 0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 12–13 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs white; 1 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.66 of lemma length; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; curved; 20 mm long overall. Palea ovate; 0.3 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent. Palea apex acuminate. Apical sterile florets 5–7 in number; barren; separate; elliptic (resembling fertile). Apical sterile lemmas pubescent; awned; 1 -awned.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; 0.5 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; biconvex; 2 mm long. Disseminule comprising a floret with sterile lemmas.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Cynodonteae. WDC.

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