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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Coelachyrum yemenicum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades 7–32 cm long; 2.5–5.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–8; borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3.5–19 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; clavate; obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.1–4 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 1–4 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 2.1–4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 1–4 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–4.7 mm long; membranous; keeled; lightly keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined, or 5 -veined (rarely). Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; with clavate hairs. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea ovate; 0.5–0.7 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent (below); with turgid hairs. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; flattened; concavo-convex; 1.2–1.4 mm long; smooth. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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