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 togoensis

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2.5–20 cm long; 2–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 6–25 cm long.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 2–20 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 22–27 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–2 mm long; pubescent; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–12 mm long; 0.33 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 18–20 mm long; 0.66–1 length of spikelet; 3–5 -veined; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 5–6 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; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; subterete below; 9–20 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 1.5–4 mm long; hirsute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 2 mm long; anther tip penicillate.

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.