Catapodium mamoraeum

HABIT Annual; culms solitary. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 2–5 cm long; 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 7–14 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface hirsute; hairy at base. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1 mm long. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1997.

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