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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 lanata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths woolly; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 40–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle open; ovate; dense, or loose; 5–35 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; 8–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent; unequally 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or setose; 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; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 8–14 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; glabrous, or setose; with tubercle-based hairs; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; incised 0.1–0.2 of lemma length; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 40–60 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 5–10 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 2; anther tip smooth.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FZ.

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