Homozeugos huillense

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms slender; 30–50 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; terete; 30–45 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3; digitate; 11 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; setose on margins. Rhachis hairs white; 3–4 mm long. Rhachis internodes filiform; 4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels filiform; ciliate; 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, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5–2 mm long; pilose; base pungent; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 0.8 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; much thinner above; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 5–6 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 7 mm long; 0.8 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma linear; 6 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 25–30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hirtellous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTA.

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