Andropogon mannii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths papery, or coriaceous; glabrous. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 10–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades erect; conduplicate; 2–25 cm long; 2–8 mm wide; stiff.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.

Racemes (2–)3–10; digitate; 2–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–3 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white; 0.5–1 mm long. Rhachis internodes filiform, or linear; 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 filiform, or linear; 3–5 mm long; ciliate; with white hairs; with 0.5–1 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–8 mm long; as long as fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; muticous, or mucronate. 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; 4.5–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.5 mm long; pilose; base obtuse; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; purple; 2-keeled; keeled laterally. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent, or obscure; 0–4(–7) in number. Lower glume surface flat, or concave; glabrous. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above. Upper glume muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–5 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 0.25–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 4–14 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

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

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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