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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 chrysostachyus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 10–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat; 2–40 cm long; 1–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.

Racemes (2–)3–9; digitate; 3–8 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–4 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs dark brown. Rhachis internodes filiform, or 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 filiform, or linear; ciliate; with dark brown hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–8 mm long; as long as fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous, or pubescent; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 4–7 in number. Lower glume surface flat; pubescent. Lower glume hairs dark brown. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume muticous.

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 0.33–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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