Loudetia vanderystii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths villous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; slender; 30–70 cm long; wiry; 1 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect; filiform, or linear; flat, or involute; 15–30 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; bearing juvenile spikelets at emergence.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 1.5–2.5 cm long; 0.6–1.4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.2–0.4 cm long; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; acuminate; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; bearded; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; chartaceous; yellow; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface setose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.9 length of spikelet; chartaceous; yellow; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy on veins; with tubercle-based hairs. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 3 -veined; glabrous; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.66 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute; interlocking with palea keels. Lemma apex emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; flat below; 14–20 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 5–6 mm long; pubescent. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; thickened.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 3–4 mm long; anther tip smooth.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Arundinelleae. FTA.

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