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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.
Alloeochaete geniculata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately. Butt sheaths papery; woolly; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 30–60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 8–17 cm long; 2–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; lanceolate; 15–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–3 -nate. Panicle branches smooth.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 11–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.5 mm long. Upper glume elliptic; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex dentate; 3 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren (sometimes bisexual); with palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; lanceolate, or ovate; 7–7.5 mm long; herbaceous; 5 -veined; eciliate on margins, or ciliate on margins; dentate; 2 -fid; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret geniculate; 5–10 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.8 length of lemma; pubescent; adorned on keels. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface with marginal hair tufts; bearing 2 hair tufts in all. Lemma hairs 1–1.3 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 7–11 mm long overall; with twisted column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 1.5–2.5 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; glabrous. Anthers 3.
FRUIT Disseminule comprising a floret.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.
NOTES Arundineae. Kabuye.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
