Echinolaena madagascariensis

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated. Culms rambling; 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–12 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary.

Racemes 1–3; single, or borne along a central axis; spreading; unilateral; 2.5–3.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–2 cm long. Rhachis flattened; tuberculate on margins; ciliate on margins.

Spikelets pectinate; 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; acuminate; 5–7 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Floret callus winged; with apical wings adnate to lemma, or apical wings shrivelled to concave scars; these appendages 0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. SAR 2003.

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