Hordeum capense

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 20–60 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.9 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–17 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; linear; bilateral; 5–9 cm long; 8–17 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; scabrous on margins; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; 1.3–2.3 mm long; falling with spikelet above.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 1.7–2.6 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 13–23 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes subulate. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; 7–9 mm long; 1-awned; with 2–9 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 11–23 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; similar. Lower glume subulate; 11–23 mm long; 1 length of upper glume. Upper glume subulate; 11–23 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–9.8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 7–22 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Rhachilla extension 3–7 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.6–4.3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Triticeae. Bothmer 1993.

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