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Descriptions

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

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

Loudetia cerata

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 70–110 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pruinose. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–25 cm long; 2.5–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 15–18 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sparsely divided; 1–3 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; acuminate; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.75 mm long; bearded; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 4–6.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface setose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface setose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 6–7 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 3 -veined; glabrous, or pilose; hairy on veins; acuminate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.75 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire; emarginate, or obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; flat below; 50–70 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 10 mm long; puberulous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 2 mm long; anther tip smooth.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and northeast tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTA.

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