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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Anthoxanthum aethiopicum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; wiry. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or rambling; slender; 20–50 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 9–17 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; light green; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 3.5–7 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–8.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6.5–8 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8.4 mm long; 2.5–2.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.3–4.3 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 5 -veined; emarginate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 2.6–4.4 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 2.3–4.4 mm long; chartaceous; obtuse; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.1–0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 6.7–8.5 mm long. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5(–3.6) mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex emarginate; muticous. Palea oblong; 1 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 2. Stigmas 2; protogynous; pubescent.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Eth 1994.

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