Baptorhachis foliacea

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50 cm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–5 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 2–4.5 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; foliaceous; with rounded midrib; 3–4 mm wide; ciliate on margins.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 2-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface with transverse tufts of hair (2 tufts). Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; obtuse, or acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 2-keeled; 3 -veined; with dorsal tufts of hair; 2 hair tufts in all; lobed; 2–5 -fid; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1.5 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; chartaceous; pallid; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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