Coelorachis lepidura

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–30 cm long; 2–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear.

Racemes 1; single; 6–12 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; glabrous on surface. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform; with simple rim.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels columnar; semiterete; tip cupuliform.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes winged on keels. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; winged on keel; winged above. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; chartaceous; 1-keeled.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma elliptic; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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