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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Heteropholis sulcata

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short; scaly. Culms 60–120 cm long. Lateral branches ample. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 16–60 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; smoothly terete; unilateral; 5–12 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete. Rhachis internodes cuneate. Rhachis internode tip transverse; crateriform.

Spikelets sunken; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to internode; united wholly; oblong; flattened; tip rectangular.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; elliptic; asymmetrical; 3–5 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; winged on keels; obtuse. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; with central peg; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; pallid; 2-keeled; keeled laterally; keeled obtusely; winged on keel; winged near apex. Lower glume surface cancellate. Lower glume apex emarginate. Upper glume oblong; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 2 -veined. Palea 0 -veined; without keels.

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

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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