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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Leptochloa caudata

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms decumbent; 30–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.75–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 9–35 cm long; 2.5–6 mm wide; stiff; mid-green and grey-green. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; 10–30; borne along a central axis; spreading, or ascending; flexuous; unilateral; 4–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–40 cm long. Rhachis semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled, or sessile. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 6.2–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.7–1.8 mm long; 0.3–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 2–3.8 mm long; 0.6–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4.3 mm long; membranous; mid-green, or purple; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins pilose; hairy below. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; obtuse; mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; laterally compressed; plano-convex; 1.7–1.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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