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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 hordeiformis
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–150 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle contracted; linear; 15–45 cm long; 1–2 cm wide.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–5 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 0.5–1.5 mm long; pubescent; unequally 2-toothed, or pungent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface setose; 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 surface setose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex truncate and caudate.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret winged on keels. Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4 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; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 2–3 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.
FLOWER Anthers 2; 2.5–3 mm long; anther tip smooth.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and northeast tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. FTA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
