Elymandra grallata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long; 2–4 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; hyaline; truncate. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; stiff; glaucous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; scanty; 40–60 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear; 7.5–10 cm long; scarious; glabrous, or pilose. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.

Racemes 2; paired; 4–5.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 6–9 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing lax. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip oblique. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 3–4 mm long; pubescent; hairy in axils.

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

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; lower raceme 2 in number; 0–2 in upper raceme; barren, or male; 7 mm long; smaller than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes villous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate (olive green); 8–13 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus linear; 2–3 mm long; 2-toothed. Companion sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; villous; acute. 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; (7–)9–10(–12) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 2.5–3.5(–4.5) mm long; pubescent; 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; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 8–18 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; 5–6 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 30–50 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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