Andropogon schirensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths withering, or persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 40–250 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 9–70 cm long; 2–12 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal.

Racemes 2; paired; unilateral (as to sterile spikelets); 5–25 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs 1–3 mm long. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 4–5 mm long. 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; semiterete; ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number; barren; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet lemmas awnless.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5–10 mm long; longer than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; 13–15 -veined; acute; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 4.5–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1–2 mm long; pilose; 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 dorsally. Lower glume intercarinal veins absent. Lower glume surface deeply depressed. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; much thinner above; 1-keeled; keeled above; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20–40 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.