Gaudinia maroccana

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; 8–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–8 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; ciliate. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes clavate; falling with spikelet above.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–20 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 4–5 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface scabrous; glabrous, or villous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong, or obovate; 6–9 mm long; 0.8–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with membranous margins; 1-keeled; 7–11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface scabrous; glabrous, or villous. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7–8 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or villous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.66 way up back of lemma; straight, or curved; ascending, or spreading; 2–4 mm long overall; clearly exserted from spikelet, or not or scarcely exserted from spikelet. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 2–2.2 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Afr Nord.

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