Homozeugos eylesii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 100–200 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–20 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 10–40 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–4; single, or paired, or digitate; 8–20 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels linear; villous; tip oblique.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 8–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5–2 mm long; pubescent; base acute; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 7–8 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; 5–6 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 15–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.

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.