Elymandra archaelymandra

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 150–200 cm long; 2–5 mm diam. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; scarious; truncate. Leaf-blades tapering towards tip; 15–30 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 40–60 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 7–8 cm long; scarious; glabrous. Peduncle deflexed; glabrous.

Racemes 2; paired; 3–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; glabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip oblique. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 3–4 mm long; hirsute (fulvously); hairy in axils.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; lower raceme 4 in number; 4 in upper raceme; barren, or male; 10–12 mm long; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; pilose.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate (olive green); 12–13 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus cuneate; 2 mm long; 2-toothed. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; villous; acuminate. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 8–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 3–4 mm long; bearded; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs white.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 20–30 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; 5.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; incised 0.2 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 80–95 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hirtellous. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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