Helictotrichon milanjianum

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths dark brown. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–30 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; effuse; 15–25 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 13–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 3 mm long; pilose; hairy above. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 3–6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 4–8 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–12 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; setaceously attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical, or dorsal; arising 0.9 way up back of lemma; flexuous, or geniculate; 12–20 mm long overall; without a column, or with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea keels ciliolate. Rhachilla extension 0.75 length of fertile floret; pilose.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Aveneae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Rhachilla hairs shorter than itself.

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