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Descriptions

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

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

Chloris amethystea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Stolons absent, or present. Basal innovations subterete, or flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; (20–)50–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–20 cm long; 1.5–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–8(–10); digitate; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; 4–9 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–2.2 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.6–3.6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; oblong in profile; 3–4 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 0.5–2 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; separate; cuneate; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous (scaberulous); muticous, or mucronate. Apical sterile lemma awns 0 per spikelet in number.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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