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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 coarctata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 30–75 cm long. Culm-nodes brown. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 15–35 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–12 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; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.4–0.7 mm long; pubescent; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.5–9 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface setose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma oblong; 5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; flat below; 25–40 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 10 mm long. 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, and southern tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FZ.

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