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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Cyphochlaena sclerioides
HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 50–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades oblong, or ovate; 8–9 cm long; 15–17 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–8 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 3–10; borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 1.4–2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8–12 cm long. Rhachis angular; glabrous on surface; glabrous on margins.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong.
STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes, or rudimentary, or well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male (or variously reduced); obovate; laterally compressed; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes membranous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 0–2.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 2.2–2.5 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; with lower narrower than upper; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume linear; 1.1–1.4 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.5–2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 1.7–1.8 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; indurate; pallid; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblate; gibbous; 2.2–2.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; indurate; pallid; 1-keeled. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.2–2.5 mm long; hyaline; pallid; keeled; 0 -veined. Palea hyaline; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–0.9 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.
NOTES Paniceae. A.Camus 1998.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
