Cynodon aethiopicus

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes absent. Stolons present; with alternating elongated and bunched internodes. Culms geniculately ascending; 40–100 cm long; 2–6 mm diam.; woody. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 3–25 cm long; 3–7 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–17; digitate; in several whorls; spreading; straight; unilateral; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 2.5–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; cartilaginous; red, or purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels eciliate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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