Loudetia furtiva

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 30–80 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths 2–3 cm long; hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 8–10 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins entire; tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 10–20 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–30 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; bearded; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or oblong; 3 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of spikelet; chartaceous; light brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; when entire truncate. Upper glume oblong; 8–10 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; light brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy on veins; 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, or oblong; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; glabrous, or pilose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs; truncate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 50–65 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 20 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 2; anther tip smooth.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. Jac-Fel.

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