Guaduella oblonga

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph; knotty. Culms erect; 25–120 cm long; firm. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Branch complement one; solitary. Culm-sheaths purple; pubescent. Leaves cauline; 5–16 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 7 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–4 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 8–20 cm long; 20–70 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes; comprising 3–12 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; elliptic; 7–11 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 0.5–1.5 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Racemes 1; single; 5–10 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis pubescent on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 basal sterile florets; 5–25 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; curved; laterally compressed; 30–120 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus elongated; 1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 2–3 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma. Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 11 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse; pubescent. Palea oblong; 0.75 length of lemma; 3–4 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; obovate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; veined; obtuse. Anthers 6; 3 mm long. Stigmas 2; papillose.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Guaduellaeae. WDC.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Lemmas not overlapping.

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