Coelachne africana

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 5–20 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 0.6–2 cm long; 1.5–4.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate to ovate; 1.2–6 cm long; bearing many spikelets, or few spikelets. Primary panicle branches spreading; simple; 1–2 cm long; bearing 2–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.6–0.8 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.8 length of upper glume; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma ovate; 1.1 length of adjacent lemma; firmer than adjacent lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 0–3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.5–0.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid. Embryo 0.3 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Isachneae. FTEA.

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