Anadelphia hamata

HABIT Perennial. Culms 60–90 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty; 10–30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 2–3 cm long; scarious. Peduncle 3–5 cm long; pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; 1.8–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–4 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; 4–5 mm long; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 5–6.5 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus oblong, or cuneate; 0.7–1 mm long; 2-toothed, or emarginate. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 9 -veined; glabrous; acuminate; mucronate, or awned; with 0.5–1.5 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–7.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; pubescent; base acute; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 6–7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins distinct. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume oblong; without keels. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex entire; emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–3 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma linear; 3–4 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 12–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4–7 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA.

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