Echinolaena egregia

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated. Culms rambling; 100–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13–16 cm long; 12–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–6; borne along a central axis; spreading; unilateral; 1.5–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–12 cm long. Rhachis flattened; glabrous on margins.

Spikelets ascending; solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller (and often aborted).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 5.5–6 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings shrivelled to concave scars.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 4 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 4.8–5 mm long; 0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume apex rostrate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9 -veined; pilose; acute; mucronate. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 3.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. =Echinolaena boiviniana. SAR 2003.

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