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Descriptions

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

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

Andropogon bentii

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–30 cm long. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1–2 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Peduncle 2–3 cm long; pilose above.

Racemes 1–2; single, or paired; 1–2 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white; 2–3 mm long. Rhachis internodes filiform; 3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform; with simple rim.

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

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5 mm long; as long as fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7–9 -veined; glabrous; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent. Lower glume surface concave. Upper glume linear; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea oblong; 1.5 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA 1993.

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