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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Cenchrus agrimonioides

HABIT Perennial. Culms robust; 25–200 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 16–41 cm long; 6–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or puberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; loose (internodes 1.7–3.3mm); 7.8–28 cm long; 1.6–2.3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a cup below; with 2–3 mm connate; ovate; 10–14 mm long; base obconical (2.5–4.5mm); base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; 6–10 in principal whorl; inner bristles longer than outer; 5.7–7 mm long; terete; rigid; retrorsely scaberulous; ciliate; spinose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.3–3.5 mm long; 0.25–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4.5–6.3 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.9–6.6 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.8–7 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Paniceae. De Lisle.

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