Harpachne schimperi

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 13–52 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 5–19 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; multilateral; 2.5–10 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing crowded.

Spikelets pendulous; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–8 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8.3–21 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with the pedicel; pedicel base pungent, or hooked. Rhachilla internodes curved; eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1.2–3 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 2.1–3.6 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma lanceolate in profile; 3.8–7.3 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; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–2.6 mm long overall. Palea bowed outwards; 0.5–0.6 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; 0.75–1.3 mm long; dark brown.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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