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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Loudetia angolensis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 100–200 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–22 cm long; 3–7 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle contracted; linear; 20–35 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pubescent; truncate.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex truncate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; glabrous, or setose; with tubercle-based hairs; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret pilose. Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; incised 0.2 of lemma length; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 20–25 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 6 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.
FLOWER Anthers 2; 2 mm long; anther tip smooth.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. FZ.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
