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Descriptions

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

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

Dactyloctenium aristatum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 4–38 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1–13 cm long; 1.5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (2–)4–7(–11); digitate; in a head; oblong; unilateral; 0.8–1.8 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4.1–5.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1.7–2.3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; wingless, or winged on keel; winged narrowly; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1.7–2.3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn subapical; 1–2.3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma gibbous; lanceolate in profile, or ovate in profile; (3–)3.3–4.3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate (0.5–1mm). Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.3–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; 0.75–1.1 mm long; granular.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Glume awn up to 1 length of body.

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