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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 elymoides

HABIT Perennial. Culms robust; 60–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 14–34 cm long; 3.3–10.2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; dense (internodes 1.2–2.8mm); 10.5–16 cm long; 1.1–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–3 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a disc below; with 0.5 mm connate; oblong; 9.8–14 mm long; base truncate (0.5–0.8mm); base glabrous. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; 5–15 in principal whorl; inner bristles longer than outer; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 6.2–11.4(–25) mm long; expanded (narrowly elliptic, 0.5mm wide); flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous, or ciliate; attenuate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 5–7.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.2–0.3 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5–7.4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5.5–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.9–6.1 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous.

FLOWER Anthers 1–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. De Lisle.

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