Coelachyrum longiglume

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 17–68 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–16 cm long; 2.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–12 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.4–6.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; parallel to lemmas. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.8–5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 3.6–5.7 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–4 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–4.3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins thickened; ribbed; close to margins. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex truncate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 0.9–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; eciliate. Palea surface asperulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; oblong; flattened; concavo-convex; 1.75–2 mm long; rugose (obscurely), or granular. Embryo 0.6–0.7 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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