Hyparrhenia wombaliensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect; slender; 40–60 cm long. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 15–25 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 4–10 cm long; membranous. Peduncle 8–10 cm long; glabrous.

Racemes 2; paired; erect; 2–3 cm long; bearing 4–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white. Rhachis internodes linear; 3.5–5 mm long. Rhachis internode tip oblique; flat. Raceme-bases filiform; unequal (the longer measured); 5–8 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.

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

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; glabrous; acute; 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; 5–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; 1 mm long; pubescent; base acute; attached obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface glabrous, or hispidulous. 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 entire; emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8–15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent; with 0.2–0.3 mm long hairs. Palea absent or minute.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. WDC.

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