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Descriptions

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

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

Cyphochlaena madagascariensis

HABIT Annual. Culms prostrate; 10–42 cm long. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–7 cm long; 4–14 mm wide; herbaceous. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–1 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–8 cm long. Rhachis angular; setose on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; setose.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes, or rudimentary, or well-developed; male (or variously reduced); obovate; laterally compressed; 1.3–1.7 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes membranous; awned; both glumes awned. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 1.3–1.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–7 mm long (deciduous). Upper glume ovate; 1.3–1.7 mm long; indurate; pallid; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblate; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; 1-keeled; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 0.8–1.1 mm long; hyaline; keeled; 3 -veined. Palea hyaline; 3 -veined; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. WDC.

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