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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 pilosum

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 9–18 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1.5–6.5 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (1–)2; paired; spreading; linear, or oblong; straight, or arcuate; unilateral; 1.4–3.5 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; 2.3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Spikelet callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2–2.5 mm long; 1.1–1.3 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 oblong; 1.5–2.2 mm long; 0.5–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume apex truncate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn subapical; 0–1 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma gibbous; ovate in profile; 2.2–3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute; mucronate (0.5mm). Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels wingless. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6–0.75 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; 0.7 mm long; granular.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Glume awn up to 0.5 length of body.

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