Loxodera caespitosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; 7–10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; pubescent on surface. Rhachis internodes oblong. Rhachis internode tip crateriform; with scarious rim.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; pubescent.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; elliptic; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; bearded; base truncate; inserted.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; chartaceous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline. Palea hyaline.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Andropogoneae. FTEA.

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