Bewsia biflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 40–90 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–40 cm long; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 6–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–12 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.5–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Floret callus evident; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–6 mm long; membranous; dark brown to red; keeled; lightly keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5–0.8 way up back of lemma; 1–8 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear, or oblong; isodiametric; biconvex; 2 mm long.

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

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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