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Descriptions

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

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

Eustachys paspaloides

HABIT Perennial. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or decumbent; 20–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 2–18 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (3–)4–10(–15); digitate; unilateral; 3–7 cm long. Rhachis semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; truncate; 1.5–2.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 0.7–1.6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1–2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn subapical; 0.5–1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 1.5–2.4 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; dark brown; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex emarginate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; cuneate; 1.2–1.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas muticous, or mucronate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; ellipsoid; isodiametric; trigonous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia. South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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