Harpachne bogdanii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 54–74 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 14–28 cm long; 2.5–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; linear, or oblong; multilateral; 12–24 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets pendulous; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform (branching into racemelets at base of raceme); 5–48 mm long; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 11–18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.5–15 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with the pedicel; pedicel base pungent, or hooked. Rhachilla internodes definite; straight; obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2.6–3.1 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 3.3–4 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets decreasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma lanceolate in profile; 3.3–4.1 mm long; membranous, or cartilaginous; of similar consistency above, or much thinner above; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea bowed outwards; 0.6–0.7 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; biconvex; 1 mm long; dark brown.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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