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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 robusta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 100–300 cm long; woody; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate, or involute; 15–40 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 10–28; digitate; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; (8–)10–15(–20) 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; 4–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5.5 mm long; 1.1–1.3 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; lanceolate in profile; 3–4 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy in the middle. Lemma hairs 4 mm long. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 1–3.5 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; dissimilar. First apical floret male (rarely bisexual); lanceolate; 2.5–4 mm long; pilose (on margins); awned (0.5–1.5mm long). Apical sterile florets barren; separate; lanceolate; 1–2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous, or pilose; adorned on margins; muticous, or mucronate. Apical sterile lemma awns 1 per spikelet in number.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous. Hilum punctiform.

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

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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