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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 brazzae

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 40–60 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 3–5 cm long.

Racemes 3–15; digitate; 2.5–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform; 3–5 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; 2–3 mm long; bearing a few hairs, or glabrous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4 mm long; as long as fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 3 -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 linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous; base obtuse; inserted.

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

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; muticous. Palea oblong; 1–1.5 mm long; 0 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

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

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA 1993.

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