Entoplocamia aristulata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 40–90 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–6 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; oblong, or globose; unilateral; 1–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–20 cm long. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing crowded.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 3–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 9–17 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; elliptic; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 5–10 -veined; ciliate on margins; acuminate; muticous. Fertile florets recurved at tip. Fertile lemma orbicular; 5–6 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 9–13 -veined. Lemma margins pilose. Lemma apex cuspidate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn reflexed; pungent; 1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules absent.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC.

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