Anadelphia polychaeta

HABIT Annual. Culms 80 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty; 20–25 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 3.5–4 cm long; scarious; glabrous. Peduncle 4–4.5 cm long; antrorsely scabrous 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; 2 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 represented by barren pedicels, or well-developed; male; linear; 6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus cuneate; 1 mm long; truncate. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; glabrous; acuminate; awned; both glumes awned; with 1–2 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; 4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 6.5–7.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.8 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs red.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 2 -awned. Lower glume awn 4–5.5 mm long. Upper glume oblong; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 8–12 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; 3.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20–40 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 10–15 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; 0.5 mm long; fleshy; truncate. Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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