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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.
Dactyloctenium ctenoides
HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms decumbent, or prostrate; 20–50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3.7–13 cm long; 3.5–7.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes (4–)5–6(–7); digitate; spreading, or ascending; oblong; unilateral; 1.4–3.3 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 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4–4.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Spikelet callus glabrous, or pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2–2.2 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; winged on keel; winged narrowly; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.7–2 mm long; 0.5–0.6 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; 0.7–1.5 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma gibbous; ovate in profile; 2.8–3.4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex cuspidate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels wingless, or winged; narrowly winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.4–0.6 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.7–0.8 mm long; granular.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.
NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Glume awn up to 0.75 length of body.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
