Guaduella humilis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph; knotty. Culms geniculately ascending; 8–14 cm long; firm. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Branch complement one; solitary. Leaves cauline; 6–20 per branch. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades elliptic, or oblong; 2–4 cm long; 6–12 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm. Inflorescence comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1–2 fertile spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.5 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 11 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1.2 length of lemma; 4 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea apex truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; 1 mm long; membranous; veined; obtuse. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2; papillose. Ovary pubescent all over.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Guaduellaeae. WDC.

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