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Descriptions

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

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

Ammochloa pungens

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 1–25 cm long. Leaf-sheaths loose, or inflated. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; entire, or lacerate. Leaf-blades 1–5 cm long; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse; apiculate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; aerial.

Panicle capitate; globose; 0.5–1.5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 1–2 in number; barren; ovate; 4 mm long; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 4 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets incurved at tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5–9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with capitate hairs. Lemma apex emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2.5–4 mm long. Ovary beaked.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; plano-convex; 1.3–1.4 mm long; apex rostrate. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis; projecting below grain. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north and Macaronesia.

NOTES Poeae. WDC.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Beak shorter than ovary.

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