Andropogon kelleri

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15–40 cm long. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–7 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 2–3 cm long.

Racemes 1; single; 2–3 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; villous on surface; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 3–6 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 3–3.5 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 linear; villous.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 6–7 -veined; glabrous; acuminate; 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; 5–6 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. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled dorsally; wingless. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent. Lower glume surface concave. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear; 4 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 14–16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 8–10 mm long; glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

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.