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Descriptions

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

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

Chasmopodium caudatum

HABIT Annual. Culms 200–400 cm long; with prop roots. Lateral branches ample. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 25–50 cm long; 10–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; 5–13 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; 3–4 mm wide; glabrous on margins, or ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 5 mm long; 0.75 length of fertile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels cuneate; flattened; glabrous, or ciliate; tip rectangular.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; ovate; asymmetrical; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; winged on keels; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

Apical sterile spikelets male; 1 in number (10–25 mm long).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 6–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; yellow; 2-keeled; keeled above; winged on keel; winged narrowly; 20–35 -veined. Lower glume intercarinal veins obscure. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse. Upper glume ovate; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above; winged on keel; winged near apex; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; hyaline; 3 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma ovate; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea hyaline; 2 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA.

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