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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 radulans

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 8–40 cm long. Culm-internodes striate; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths loose; keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades tapering towards tip; 4–8 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–10; digitate; closely spaced; in a head; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 0.5–1 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 2.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma 2.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 1 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Tothill.

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