Alloteropsis angusta

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths herbaceous; glabrous, or pubescent. Culms decumbent; slender; 50–100 cm long; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 5–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; digitate; unilateral; 4–13 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular. Raceme-bases brief, or filiform.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–4 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; fenestrate (at base); 5 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; 2–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea chartaceous. Palea surface smooth; pubescent.

FRUIT Disseminule comprising a spikelet.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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