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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Eleusine intermedia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–120 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.6–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 15–50 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth (except near tip); glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–15; digitate; distant; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; 5–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–7 cm long. Rhachis wingless; flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5–8.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–2.2 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 2–3.6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate in profile, or oblong in profile; 2.5–3.8 mm long; membranous; mid-green and grey; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein simple. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 0.9–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid; trigonous; 1.2–1.3 mm long; black; striate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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