Chlorocalymma cryptacanthum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–10 cm long; 3–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; borne along a central axis; distant; spreading; ovate; unilateral; 1–1.5 cm long; secondarily branched; secondary branches involucral. Central inflorescence axis 1–3 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; broadly winged; foliaceous; folded longitudinally to embrace spikelets; 10–20 mm wide.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 5–10 mm long. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets (and raceme); branched; flattened; rigid; spinose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 5.5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.3 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.7–1.2 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 2-keeled; winged on keel (above); 7–9 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–7 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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