Brachypodium madagascariense

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms decumbent; 15–30 cm long; 2 mm diam. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; retrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–15 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; flexuous; bilateral; 4–5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4–5 fertile spikelets on each. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 12 mm long; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; glabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; 6 mm long overall. Palea oblong; 8 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex emarginate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Brachypodieae. Camus 2001.

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