Farrago racemosa

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 25–50 cm long; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 3–8 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a unilateral false spike; appressed; lanceolate; 0.15 cm long; bearing a triad of spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 4–8 cm long; flattened. Rhachis deciduous from axis; subterete.

Spikelets appressed; in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by awns; comprising 1 awn; 5–15 mm long; deciduous with the fertile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded. Spikelet callus hairs 0.3 length of spikelet.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; subequal in width; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; dark green; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 8 mm long. Upper glume elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long; 2.5–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; dark green; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex truncate. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; oblong; 0.5–0.6 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; biconvex; 1.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Cynodonteae. FTEA.

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