Heteranthoecia guineensis

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms 10–30 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–3 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; stiff.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–15; borne along a central axis; deflexed, or spreading; unilateral; 0.5–1.2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–8 cm long. Rhachis flattened; setose on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.7–2.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes lower deciduous, upper persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 1–1.8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.8 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2.3 length of adjacent lemma; thinner than adjacent lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; 0.8–1 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; with clavate hairs. Lemma apex obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas laterally exserted (lower floret), or terminally exserted (upper floret).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; dorsally compressed; 0.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Isachneae. FTEA.

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