|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
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 arundinacea
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent, or woolly. Culms 60–300 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20–70 cm long; 3–15 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle open; oblong; dense, or loose; 18–70 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent; truncate.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–7 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or 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 glabrous, or 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; 6–13 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; truncate. Fertile lemma oblong; 4–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 20–40 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.
FLOWER Anthers 2; anther tip smooth.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
