Eulalia polyneura

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–30 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–5; single, or paired, or digitate; 7–12 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; angular; villous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; dark brown; 2-keeled; keeled above. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface convex, or flat; pilose. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 5–6 mm long; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.33–0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Intercarinal veins 5–7.

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