Maltebrunia letestui

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole; petiole 0.5–3 cm long. Leaf-blades elliptic; 8–26 cm long; 30–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; effuse; 18–25 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–8 mm long; scaberulous; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 7–10 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret subulate; 0.5–0.8 mm long; 0.07–0.08 length of spikelet. Lemma of upper sterile floret subulate; 0.5–0.8 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 7–10 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea elliptic; 1 length of lemma; membranous; 3 -veined; 1-keeled. Palea surface pubescent. Palea apex acuminate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; elliptic; 1 mm long; membranous; acute. Anthers 6; 4 mm long. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Oryzeae. CEH.

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