Anadelphia afzeliana

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 25–45 cm long; lax. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole linear; 2–3.5 cm long; scarious. Peduncle pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; 1.5–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing lax. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4–5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 3 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; linear to lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus oblong; 2-toothed. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; 7–9 -veined; glabrous; acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 1.5–2.5 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs white.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 6–7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume apex entire; truncate. Upper glume oblong; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex entire; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 8–15 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; 4–6 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.3–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 25–40 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 5–10 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and northeast tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA.

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