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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 pilosa

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 50–100 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 20–35 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–12; digitate; unilateral; 2–10 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; 2.5–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; ovate in profile; 2.5–3 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid, or black; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma surface with 2 longitudinal grooves. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2.5–5 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1.5–2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous; muticous, or awned (one of them); 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; 2–3 mm long; 0–1 per spikelet in number.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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