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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 densispica
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 50–120 cm long. Culm-nodes flush with internodes; pallid. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 7–20 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–14 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; 12–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent; unequally 2-toothed, or pungent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 6–9 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or setose; hairy on veins; 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; 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; lanceolate; 12–18 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical, or from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 30–70 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 20–25 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.
FLOWER Anthers 2; 4 mm long; anther tip smooth.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, southern tropical, and south.
NOTES Arundinelleae. FZ.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
