Hyparrhenia coleotricha

HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pilose. Culms erect; 100–250 cm long; with prop roots. Culm-nodes glabrous, or bearded (fulvously). Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades tapering towards sheath; 15–30 cm long; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 20–30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole lanceolate; 4.5–7 cm long; membranous; glabrous. Peduncle pilose above.

Racemes 2; paired; deflexed; 2–2.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4–7 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases flattened; subequal; 0.5–1.5 mm long; stiffly setose; extended into an oblong appendage; with 1–2 mm long appendage.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; ciliate; tip oblique; toothed (0.3–0.6mm).

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; on lower raceme 2 in number; 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous, or pubescent; scabrous on margins; lower glume muticous, or awned (0–3mm).

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 8–12 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; pubescent; acute; awned; one glume awned; with 6–8 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1.5–3 mm long; pubescent; base pungent; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume linear; coriaceous; without keels.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of fertile lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma linear; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 50–70 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Peduncle hairs white.

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