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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 exaratus

HABIT Perennial. Culms robust; 100–200 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 30–50 cm long; 5–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 8–12 cm long.

Racemes 2–6; paired, or digitate; 5–10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; pubescent on margins. Rhachis hairs 0.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 3 mm long. 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 cuneate; 2.5 mm long; pubescent; with 0.5 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6 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 lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume surface concave. Upper glume linear; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 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; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC 1995.

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