Hickelia alaotrensis

HABIT Perennial. Culms leaning, or rambling; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement many; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths glabrous. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 3.5–6 cm long; 5–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; linear; with glumaceous subtending bracts; without axillary buds at base of spikelet.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3–4 empty glumes; lower persistent, upper deciduous (with floret); dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 10 mm long; indurate; without keels. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea ovate; 11–12 mm long; coriaceous. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus. Palea apex pubescent. Rhachilla extension 0.2 length of fertile floret.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; ovoid; hairy at apex.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Bambuseae. Dransfield 1995.

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