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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Andropogon abyssinicus
HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–80 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–25 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib evident.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.
Racemes 2; paired; 1–15 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins, or villous on margins. Rhachis hairs white; 3–5 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.
Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; ciliate, or villous; with white hairs.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 4–9 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; wingless, or winged on keels; acute; awned; both glumes awned; with 2–8 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 5–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 1–3 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous, or coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; wingless, or winged on keel. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 7 in number. Lower glume surface convex, or flat, or concave; glabrous to villous. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3–9 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.
NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
