Hyparrhenia glabriuscula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms geniculately ascending; 120–200 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 15–30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole linear, or lanceolate; 2–3 cm long; membranous; glabrous. Peduncle 1–2 cm long; glabrous.

Racemes 2; paired; erect; 1.5–2.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases flattened; unequal (the longer measured); 2.5–3 mm long; glabrous.

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.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 2 in number (lower raceme); 0 in upper raceme; lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes glabrous; smooth on margins; lower glume muticous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acuminate; muticous. 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; 5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus brief (semicircular); 0.5 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse (broadly); 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; 11 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. 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; 15–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous; with 0.1 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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