Bothriochloa bladhii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 50–150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–55 cm long; 2–12 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme, or composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; 2–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–20 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas; linear; 2.5–3 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes without depressions, or pitted (1–3 pits); glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface flat; without pits, or pitted; pilose; hairy below. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume margins ciliate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 2.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 10–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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