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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 phragmitoides
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 200–400 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 50–100 cm long; 10–20 mm wide; stiff.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.
Panicle contracted; oblong; 40–60 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; glabrous; truncate.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.5 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; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or setose; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma hairs 1–2 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with triangular lobes; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; flat below; 10–20 mm long overall; with twisted column; persistent. Column of lemma awn 1.5–3 mm long. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.
FLOWER Anthers 2; anther tip smooth.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.
NOTES Arundinelleae. FTEA.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
