Ctenium sesquiflorum

HABIT Perennial. Glands wart-like. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long; 1 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 0.7 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades involute; 20–35 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Racemes 3; digitate; ascending, or erect; arcuate; unilateral; 6–10 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; 0.5 mm wide; glabrous on surface; scaberulous on margins; glabrous on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets barren.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 3.5–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; glandular; 1-keeled; 2 -veined. Upper glume primary vein tuberculate. Upper glume surface asperulous; glabrous. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn dorsal and oblique; 1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; with vestigial lower floret; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; glabrous; eciliate on midvein, or ciliate on midvein; eciliate on margins; obtuse; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret dorsal; 4.5 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; 3.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 3 -fid. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 0.2 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FWTA.

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