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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 pungens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–125 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat; 6.5–20 cm long; 1–5.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole.

Racemes 2; paired; 4.5–7 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes cuneate. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.

Spikelets squeezed between internode and pedicel; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels cuneate; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–7 mm long; as long as fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; ciliate on margins; acute, or acuminate; awned; both glumes awned; with 1.5–4 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 linear; dorsally compressed; 5–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 2–3.5 mm long; pilose; base pungent; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled dorsally. Lower glume surface deeply depressed. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3–6 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; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 40–60 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Cope 1997.

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