Alloteropsis paniculata

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 60–150 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 4–12 cm long; 8–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 8–25; digitate; in several whorls; unilateral; 9–20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing irregular. Raceme-bases brief.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–6 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate (hairs 0.5mm). Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; not thinner in the body; 5 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5–7 mm long overall. Palea chartaceous. Palea surface smooth; glabrous.

FRUIT Disseminule comprising a spikelet.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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