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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 lima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 45–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades erect; 15–50 cm long; 2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade midrib widened (0.33 width of blade). Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.

Racemes 2(–5); paired; 6–14 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. 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.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–8 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 0.5–3 mm long awn. 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; 6.5–8 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; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; winged on keel; winged narrowly. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 2–5 in number. Lower glume surface flat, or concave. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–4 mm long.

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 0.5–0.6 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: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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